Roses
by CyborgNumber18
Summary: Titled "The Road To Hell Is Paved With Good Intentions". Alternate Universe Vegeta and Bulma. First chapter of the Roses saga.
1. Default Chapter Title

This is the first time I've ever tried an epic. Please forgive me if it isn't the best. I owe lots to the woman that wrote about Trunks and Shiatar. I'll put down her name, and the name of her works, when I remember them. In any case, [please send me][1] ideas, critisism, etc, should you feel the need to. -- 18 

Roses

-- Chapter One --   
"The Road To Hell Is Paved With Good Intentions" 

Bulma smiled on the breakfast that she had made Vegeta. She wouldn't admit to herself that it was for him, of course. She'd share with everyone. But if he gave it so much as an extra "hmph", she'd be more than pleased. She didn't understand what she saw in him, but she didn't feel the need to understand it. She added more bacon to the table. He loves meat. She smiled in satisfaction. He'll love this meal. She had put alot of thought into it.   
She glanced at her watch. It was nearly 8. Time for breakfast.   
Bulma made her way to the gravity room so that she could alert Vegeta to his meal. She hummed a tune and smiled as she hit the intercom button.   
"Vegeta! Breakfast! I made something I know you'll like."   
She could see him through the viewing window, and he seemed to be in some kind of ... frenzy. He was attacking himself, with ki-blasts, in a flurry of motion. She couldn't keep track of his movements, and her head ached from trying.   
"VEGETA!!!"   
He stopped his movements only long enough to give her a hateful stare. She blinked, and he was at her side, leaning over her, and breathing heavily. His eyes were crazed. She gasped. He stared at her.   
"Oh Vegeta... I thought you hadn't heard me. I'm glad you did... I made breakfast for you, and it's UMPH!"   
Vegeta took hold of her, still wild with blood-lust. She was afraid. He shook her roughly, his fingers digging into her arm and side. She screamed as her arm broke with a sickening snap.   
"Dammit, woman! You don't know what I think!!! You don't know what I want!!!" He was yelling at her. "Why the hell do you try so damn hard to get my attention?! Don't you know that all I want with this damn place is to train???"   
She tried desperatly to hold back her tears, but god... Oh God... The bone of her right arm stuck out of her skin at a rude angle... Blood flowed out of the jagged wound. She screamed again, as he shook her harder, jarring her arm into an un-natural possition. He didn't seem to notice... Why?   
"VEGETA! PLEASE STOP!"   
He sneered and clenched his right fist, and more sickening cracks and pops were heard as two ribs on the left side of her body snapped.   
"If you're so weak that you can't handle a berating, how the hell am I supposed to make my point clear???"   
She tried to breathe, but something was stopping her. She couldn't hear what he was saying anymore. She couldn't feel her side, and she couldn't breathe. She tried, and her lungs burned. She felt dizzy, disconcerted. She could feel Vegeta jerking her body back and forth like a dog with a small kitten in it's mouth.   
She heard a gasp, like something far away, but she couldn't hear anything besides that. She felt the ground rise up to meet her, hard, and she gasped at new found pain. Her last thought, before the world spun into black, was whether or not the bacon would be cold when he sat to eat. 

Vegeta gasped in shock at his actions. Bulma lay at his feet, a crumpled bloody mass. Damn these weak humans. If he left her here, no one would find her. And lord know's she wouldn't have the good sense to get up and get to a damn tank. He was shocked, however, by his reaction to her invitation to breakfast. Did... Did he do this? How could he have???   
He picked her up gently. No one would help her, if he left her there. He shouldn't have berated her... He should have known that she wouldn't be able to handle that. He didn't realize the extent of the damage that he caused to her. He'd have to take her to a healing tank.   
She was only being... Nice? Was that the word? Nice. Making breakfast. He grimaced as he passed the table, set high with plates of sausage, pancakes, waffles, bacon... His lip twitched. God... What have I done???   
He walked into the tank room, and placed her in. His scowl was deeper than usual. 

Dr. and Mrs. Briefs came home from their shopping trip. Mrs. Briefs was surprised to see the table still full of food. And alot of food, no less... Suprizing. It was nearly dinner time, and yet breakfast was still out... Vegeta should have eaten it by now. And where was Bulma?? She glanced out of the window, expecting to see the occasional blast of light that indicated Vegeta's presence. Hm... No Vegeta. Where could they be?   
She wandered down the hall, and summoned a cleaning bot. They were crude, but were equipted with a locator program.   
"Bot. Locate Vegeta and Bulma."   
The raspy metallic voice of the bot answered.   
">click Vegeta is in Med Lab One. >click Bulma is in Med Lab One."   
She walked into the Med Lab. 

Vegeta sat at a console, waiting for the timer on the tank to run down. He had placed her in four hours ago. He hadn't left yet. This damn computer stuff was too complicated. The grav room's controls were easy enough, but this required know-how. And he didn't know how. He wished that Bulma was there to work the damn thing. But she was IN the tank, and he let her know just how he felt.   
He walked to the tank, resting his forehead and palms against the glass.   
"You know, if it weren't for your weaknesses, you wouldn't be in there. If you were a Saiya-jin female, you would've fought back. That's how we solve things on Vegeta-sei. How we...solved....things..."   
He sat down again, knowing that she couldn't hear him.   
He did some major damage to her. She'd be in there for quite a while. And all he could do was wait. He checked the console again, and then, looked up, shocked, as Mrs. Briefs walked into the room.   
"Oh. Hello there, Vegeta." Her smile was bright, as usuall. "Have you been sitting here this whole time??"   
He stammered, for a moment, then regained his composure. He grunted.   
"Where's Bulma?"   
Ah... The moment of truth. He had known that it would come, but had hoped for more time. He jerked his head in the direction of the tank. He hoped that Bulma's mother wouldn't see the bloody clothing near the tank.   
She glanced into the tank. Bulma floated naked in a blue-green solution. She was in the fetal position. Small bubbles floated out of the respirator attached to her mouth and nose. She looked so innocent, so lost. She seemed to be sleeping. And she had a nasty gash on her arm.   
"What happened?"   
He fidgeted for a moment, and was ashamed of that, even though Mrs. Briefs couldn't see him.   
"She.. Fell. On me." He frowned. Couldn't he think of something better to tell her??   
"Oh. When's she getting out?"   
He was about to answer when the toxins alarm started screaming. 

What they said about these tanks is wrong, Bulma thought. They say you can't hear anything. They say you're asleep. They're wrong. She heard Vegeta, knew that he had placed her in here. It made her hurt, but it made her feel good, to know that he cared enough to put her in here. Although, he was the reason she needed the aid of the tank...   
She floated in her blue-green world for what seemed like forever. Occasionally, she was aware of Vegeta's voice. He talked to her. He talked to himself. She could hear him tapping the keys of the tank's control console, and mumbling, sometimes cursing. She hoped that he wouldn't accidentally kill her by pushing the wrong buttons. That's what she got for trusting a bumbling idiot with complicated technology.   
After a long time, she heard the sound of her mother, speaking to Vegeta in quiet tones. Vegeta's answers in louder tones. She did NOT fall on him. Why was he lying?? Why couldn't he ever admit that he wasn't perfect... That he didn't know how to handle humans... She began to cry, knowing full well that if Vegeta could see her, he would insult her for being weak.   
Suddenly she felt odd. Something was wrong with the tank's liquid... I CAN'T BREATHE! 

Vegeta leaped up.   
"GET AWAY FROM THE TANK!"   
Mrs. Briefs ducked. She had had enough experience with Dr. Briefs' experiments to know that that tone of voice meant business.   
Vegeta leaped up and blurred in his rush to break the glass surrounding Bulma and the tank's liquid. The tank exploded in a shower of glass and shrapnel. Mrs. Briefs was soaked by fluid.   
"Oh! My new shirt is going to STAIN!"   
Vegeta ignored her, and placed Bulma gently on a table. He realized suddenly that he was panicking. She wasn't breathing, so he felt for her heart beat. Her skin was wet and cold, but there was a beat. What was it called.. What was it that Bulma had shown him... He remembered it had something to do with mouths being close together, and a shock ran up his spinal cord.   
He tried to position her head the right way, then he blew into her mouth the way that she had shown him. God... What if he were doing it wrong? Would she die, just because he had screwed up???   


(Next, Chapter 2 in Roses: "Surprise, Surprise") 

   [1]: mailto: cyborg_number_18@chickmail.com



	2. Chapter 2

Sorry it's taken me so long to finish this chapter (only about 23 more to go... hehe ^_~ ). I'm not real sure how many lines of text should go into a chapter, how many chapters should go into an epic, bla bla bla. Can someone with a little more experience than me gimme some hints here? It'd be nice. -- 18   


Roses

-- Chapter Two -- 

Vegeta hurried, knowing that Bulma would die if he didn't get this right. Her lungs filled with air from his lungs, and he recalled having to be careful not to blow her up to the point of explosion. God he was pathetic when it came to first aid. Of course, he was Prince Of Saiya-jins, so what need did he have of first aid??? This need. The need to save someone. He realized with a shock that he was SAVING someone's life. Of course he had done so before, but never in such a hands-on way... The feeling was... Good.   
He put a small amount of pressure on her chest, pushing out the air he had just blown in. Why wasn't she breathing?? What had he done wrong with the tank??? He had worked tanks before, but always Saiya-jin tanks. Not human tanks. Had he measured the liquids wrong??? He would never forgive himself if this human female died. He didn't know why he felt that way.   
Vegeta suddenly had a vision.   
His face became a mask of concentration, his eyes focused purely on what others couldn't see. Vegeta saw a boy, not much taller than himself. A boy with purple hair, of all the idiotic colors. The boy had something that could save Bulma's life. What it was, Vegeta didn't know. Vegeta didn't know why he had to get the thing that would save Bulma's life, or what Bulma's life was endangered by. All he knew was that the boy had what Bulma needed to live.   
The vision ended suddenly, and Vegeta was shocked to see Bulma laying naked on a table, covered in blueish-greenish water.   
Bulma's body gave a racking sigh, and then she was coughing, spitting up tank fluid. He helped her up, and she gasped, swallowing air. Her head fell against Vegeta's chest. He didn't know what to do besides support her untill she stopped gasping. 

Blackness... Swirling blackness.... Voices in the darkness, calling to her... And then renewed pain in her chest. Her heart felt like it was about to burst! Bulma screamed out against it, but there was no sound but a sick cracking. God she hurt. And then there was air, and she breathed.   
She tried to get up, and felt strong hands help her... She couldn't quite see yet, but all she knew was that there was suddenly light, air, and sound, and a thousand other things she had always taken for granted. She couldn't help but swallow it all, take in the light like food and water, take in the air like it was gold.   
She was aware of falling, and then something hard stopped her head from hitting the floor. It was a chest. She knew that... Not her mother, for sure. Maybe Goku. Her father wasn't built like that, and the only other person with so many muscles could care less about her. She shuddered realizing that Vegeta would never care about her. He would never hold her, or compliment her, or do anything that would ever be considered nice, if it had anything to do with her.   
Her lungs ached, but she was glad for the air. She started to calm, and pressed a hand against the chest holding her up. She righted herself, and looked up to thank Goku for helping her out. And then she screamed. 

"GOOD GOD, WOMAN!"   
Vegeta recoiled from the scream as though he had been bitten, and Bulma looked as though she were about to fall again. He wasn't sure if she wanted his help or not. Stupid Earthians were so hard to understand.   
Bulma put a hand to her chest. He hoped that she wouldn't mind being naked. She was nice to look at, even if she was damn annoying. Vegeta stepped back a step or two, to give her room should she start to yell. Instead of that, though, Vegeta was suprised as she smiled.   
"Er... Thankyou... I'm sorry that I reacted like that. You scared me."   
"Stupid woman. Why would I scare you??"   
"Because you beat me to a pulp earlier." She sounded pissed.   
"I did no such thing, and you know it. I only berated you for disturbing my training!"   
"Oh Yeah??? Well how the hell do you explain yourself for that, huh???"   
Mrs. Briefs smiled. They were back to normal already. 

Bulma fumed. She stalked out of the Med Lab, naked skin and all, after her brief fight with Vegeta. He hadn't a clue as to how to handle humans, and she had told him so. She had told him that if he didn't know how to handle such 'weak' humans, he should leave. He had reacted so oddly, as though her words had actually struck him somewhere. It wasn't like Vegeta to just give up in an argument.   
She was still dripping tank liquid all over the floor behind her. A cleaning bot followed along, wiping up behind her. Her fists her balled at her side, to keep her from hitting the bot. She would have to oil it, it squeaked so much.   
That stupid stubborn man. Stupid stupid stupid! He did nothing but cause trouble! But then again, he did save her, so he couldn't be all bad. Or maybe he just didn't want to get kicked out. He needed the stupid gravity room so that he could do his precious training....   
She went into her room, locking the bot out, and lit a couple scented candles. Then she flung herself on the bed, grabbing her brush on the way down. She tugged at her hair with the brush, straighten out the soggy, knotted locks. Maybe she shouldn't have dyed it so much... It'd be much healthier if she hadn't. She renewed her efforts to comb out the knots.   
"Stupid Vegeta." She sniffled, holding back a new set of tears.   
"Stupid stubborn man. Can't ever admit that he's wrong. No no no... He'll just ignore something, rather than give it a yes or a no. Oh yes, Vegeta, Mighty Prince Of Saiya-jin!" She threw her brush down in disgust.   
"Ugh! Your stupid planet doesn't even exist anymore!! But no, you just HAVE to let your stupid pride dictate everything you do. Everything you say. Have you ever said ANYTHING nice to me?? No. Have you even LOOKED at me??? No. Have you ever thanked any of us for letting you live here? No."   
She hung her head... Her hair covered her face, and she was about to cry again.   
"And you don't even understand the concept of CRYING! It hurts INSIDE, Vegeta. INSIDE." She thumped her chest in emphasis, her still bruised ribs smarting. "But do you care? No. You don't care about anything..."   
Damn it... Here she goes, giving in to her stupid, hot tears. You'd think that after so long living with Vegeta in her house, she'd have stopped crying long ago, but for some reason, she never did.   
"And you don't know how much I wish you didn't have to leave! If you only knew how much your stupid, stupid, idiotic, stubborn ways made me care about you. Damn you... You stupid stubborn man.... You don't know how much I NEED you!!!" She sobbed again, quietly this time. She scolded herself. She'd have to remember to keep her voice down: Vegeta could hear a lot, if he chose to. 

Vegeta watched, rather stunned as Bulma ran out of the Med Lab. Her hair looked different when it was wet, he noticed. Softer, maybe. More... Shiny? Lustrous. That's the word. Lustrous. He cocked his head, watching the cleaning bot go shuffling and beeping after her.   
"Well. You two seem to be getting along fine now. We have shirly temple mixes, if you're interested." Mrs. Briefs left, smiling, to the kitchen. He ignored her.   
He was studying the tank... What had gone wrong? He knew he'd never be able to figure it out without Bulma's help, but he'd be damned if he ever asked for it. He'd have to ask her later. But... She wanted him to leave.   
Damn... He glanced out of a window. What time is it? It was dark out. That must make it somewhere around... 8? 9? Maybe?   
He sat again. Nothing else to do. He certainly couldn't train and think at the same time. He just got too into his fight-mode to think.   
Damn. Bulma usually made his dinner. And now she was telling him to leave Capsule Corps. Stupid Earthian women. One moment she's saying one thing, next moment she's saying something else. He put his feet up on the console. Rubbing his chin, he wondered: What would he hear if he went to her now? If he finally decided to "thank her"?   
Time to find out. 

"Don't you know that I can hear a mouse from a mile away, woman?"   
Bulma looked up shocked, her eyes red from crying. Vegeta stepped onto the window sill. He had been floating there silently, listening to her.   
"What are you doing here, Vegeta? You're supposed to knock. It's common curtisy." She sounded bitter. This would be harder than he thought.   
She was still naked, he noted, with some satisfaction.   
"Isn't it common curtisy to wear clothing?" He countered with suprizing speed.   
She blushed furiously, but gave no other sign that his comment had affected her.   
"Dammit Vegeta, you know what I mean!"   
He walked around the the other side of the bed, near her dresser. She moved across the bed to avoid him. This would be much harder than he thought.   
"How long where you there?" Was that a hint of nervousness he heard?   
"Long enough," he answered quietly, as he studied a little snowglobe he found on her desk. Her and Yamcha holding each other and smiling... The sparkles in the globe floated around in lazy circles and settled on the little picture inside. "Pretty." He put the globe down, and sat on the edge of the bed.   
Then he looked at her. Straight into her eyes. 

(Next chapter of Roses: Bulma and Vegeta? Can it get any worse? The Answer: Yes. It can.) 


	3. Chapter 3

I swear, I'll get all the chapters in as quickly as I can. I'm doing my best, considering writer's block, etc. Also, because this is an EPIC, there are many many chapters. I just don't have them all written yet. Though I CAN promise the story is good, and it's good, and stuff. *grin* Only about 22 more to go...   
- However, I must say that if you start reading this, READ IT TO THE FINISH! If you leave this story just because it has a slow begining, you'll be missing out on A LOT. And you'll be...er.. really... really... sad. -- 18 

Roses

-- Chapter Three --   
"Dark Angel" 

What the hell was he doing in her room??? She was startled so badly, she almost screamed again. Although, she'd found that screaming was not the way to handle Vegeta. Keeping cool, even though she felt like burning, was what was needed to conquer him. Never give him the satisfaction of knowing that you are bothered. That's the rule.   
God... Had he heard anything she said? She had to be careful finding out, or he'd use the knowledge against her. That's how he was. She had forgotton to put on clothing, as well, and he'd noticed. She frowned. Well... Couldn't be helped now. The only thing she could do is detract from that fact.   
He sat on her bed and looked into her eyes. That alone was concerning enough, but what she saw in them, that was what scared her... Was it... Nervousness?   
She tried to make a quick recovery.   
"Well? What did you want?"   
He looked down, breaking eye contact. And then he did something that completely blew Bulma away. When he looked up again, his face wasn't a cold, hard mask. He very clearly showed concern, and something else.   
"I came to see if you were ok." He was gruff. It must be hard for him. He looked away again, across the room.   
"Oh Vegeta... Yes... Yes, I'm fine." She was concerned now. "Are YOU ok??"   
He turned to her, quickly, and she jumped back, startled. He stood, with his usual cold mask, but he looked as though a thousand different feelings were racing through him. It must be very hard for him indeed! When he finally spoke, his voice was quiet, and soft. And uncertain.   
"I... I.... I hate you." He stammered out. "I hate you so much that it makes my blood boil. I hate you so much that I would kill for you." He frowned, and his fists were so tight that if Bulma could see his knuckles through the gloves, she would've sworn they were white. He wouldn't face her.   
"Vegeta...." She knew that he was saying something completely opposite of what he meant... That was his way. For once, she wasn't afraid.   
"I hate you so much.... That sometimes... sometimes I... I just want to grab you... To.... To...." He trailed off.   
"Shhhhh... You don't have to..."   
She reached up, and cautiously touched a gloved fist. He made no motion, and so she gently grasped the hand, and pulled him to her. He didn't resist, even though he could have, oh so easily. 

What was he doing? He had come here to yell at her for being foolish and stupid, and now he was allowing himself to be pulled to her. What power did this small Earthian have over him?? He felt confused again... Now he was doing the things that he hated most in her. Starting out one way, and changing right in the middle of what he was doing... But her lips... They were so...perfect. No other word could describe her. For all of her bitching and moaning, she was...perfect. Her hair reflected in the candle light, all different shades of blues and greens and golds... It was like watching the sparkles in the snowglobe float around her face. He felt he could watch it forever. It was beautiful, in a way he never thought possible. But oh! She was crying again.   
He lifted a hand to her cheek, without really meaning to, and wiped a tear away. She pressed her face into the palm of his hand, and he felt something akin to a shock. This woman... This strange creature... Felt for him, in a way he had yet to see. But he was also sure that she'd show him. And he would show her a thing or two, as well. He grinned, foolish in his pride. 

He kneeled on the bed, and she made room for him. Why was she doing this? With HIM? With Vegeta? Bulma didn't know. All she knew was that at that time, in that moment, everything was right with the world. He grinned, looking like a little boy in the fire light, and she laughed, and he blushed, and she laughed again, and then he pulled her to him, cutting off her laughter with a deep, passionate kiss. And then, at that moment, everything WAS right with the world. 

(Next, Chapter 4 of Roses: "Resentment and Roses") 


	4. Chapter 4

Ok. First I would like to say that I do not condone rape, or spousal abuse, or any number of the things that I write about. I only write what I think the characters are capable of, and what I think they would do in that situation. I may be wrong, but only The Great And Mighty Akira Toriyama could tell me otherwise. These are his characters, for the most part, so I figured I should give him credit, so I don't get sued. ^_~   
Second: Well... I do my best, as we all must, but I don't think I can keep up the pace. I do have other things, like work, that have to be addressed at some point, so as much as I would love to give you guys more chapters in less time, I don't think I can manage it. I upload them as soon as I finish them, though, so don't worry, You'll get something for your troubles. *grin* -- 18 

Roses

-- Chapter Four --   
"Resentment and Roses" 

Bulma rolled over in her sleep, and felt something rock hard, but warm. She opened one eye, slightly concerned. Vegeta lay next to her, sleeping like a baby. She smiled, remember the events of the night... He was so... Gentle. Overly gentle, as though he was afraid to hurt her again. When he came, he kept saying 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry...' like it was a holy mantra. That was probably the only time in his life that he'd ever apologized for anything. He probably felt really bad... He would kill things, and not apologize for the mess, but to hurt her, almost kill her... It must have bothered him. Lord knows it bothered her.   
But he proved to her that he was sorry, in so many ways... And he had thanked her, in his brusque manner, for everything she had done. And so she was happy. But god forbid he should ever lay an angry hand on her again... Fooled once, his fault. Fooled twice, my fault. It wouldn't happen again... She'd cut his little friend off. And he KNEW it. And he had given her permission to, grimacing, as all real men would, at the thought.   
She touched his shoulder gently, feeling the muscles and heat and sweat... She felt so warm... She loved him, she knew it now. But he had been cruel. Very cruel. He had killed Yamcha, killed many other people. But the way he had held her, the way he had looked at her... Maybe things would change now.   
She rested her head against his shoulder, feeling safe around him for the first time. 

He opened one of his eyes carefully, slowly. He didn't want Bulma to know that he was awake. She looked so small... So fragile, so tender... He could feel his mouth watering, needing to be near her again. But no, he couldn't allow that again. He had shown weakness. He mustn't show it again. But it hurt to hide from her. God it hurt. He had said too much already. He had de-based himself... Thrown himself at her mercy. He couldn't do it again. It was too hard. But she had been so honest with him. She was the only one that was ever honest with him. Maybe he should be honest with her? Tell her his feelings? His needs? No. That would put him at her mercy, and she'd use it against him.   
God she was perfect... The way the early morning sunlight played over the sheets, over their bodies... It made his eyes ache with the beauty. Everything shone... Is this what being happy is like? Could it be? He hadn't been happy in anytime that he could recall...   
He could hear people moving about downstairs. They'd be surprised if they saw him coming out of Bulma's room. He needed to get to the grav room. But... He didn't want to leave Bulma. ARG! He really needed to go... He glanced at the clock near the bed. 7 already... He had to go. And now. I don't want to hurt her!!! What could he say that could cover him?? 

Bulma felt him shudder. She opened her eyes.   
"What's wrong?"   
"I have to go."   
He was getting dressed already. Damn he was quick.   
"Why?" She was afraid... He wouldn't have been lying, would he?? She sat up   
"Training." He was gruffer than usual. He was hiding something from her. She looked at the clock. It was early yet.   
"Why are you leaving now?? You usually start training later..."   
"I only came here to prove a point. I'm leaving now."   
"...Prove a point?"   
"That I can handle a human just as well as I can handle a Saiya-jin. I proved it. I'm leaving." She was in shock... Then... That meant that everything he had said last night was a lie.... A lie....   
"What do you mean, 'prove a point'?! I thought you... I thought...." She was lost. She shook, her voice waivering... "You just.. You just USED ME!"   
His jaw set. He was holding something back... She was about to cry again. Stupid hot tears... Never left her alone.   
"I told you. I hate you." Something... something was wrong. He never said he hated her unless he meant the opposite! "I...I hate you so much that..." He sneered. "I have to leave." And then he started walking out.   
"Why can't you ever just tell me what you mean?! Why do you always confuse me?? Can't you just be honest about your feelings? If this meant nothing to you, why did you say the things you did???" She was pleading...   
He walked to the window, and was about to step out when he stopped. He didn't turn to face her, only spoke over his shoulder. His voice was soft again.   
"I came to prove a point. I proved it." His voice was so soft... She felt the tears run down her face again... God. All she did was cry. Why couldn't she be strong? It wasn't fair sometimes, the way life handed out merits and flaws. She got smarts, but she didn't get anything else but willpower. And somehow, Vegeta managed to come along and trash that. Vegeta got all the muscle. Sometimes, she hated him. But she always loved him. And now, here he was, telling her that he was using her, that everything she said was a lie!   
  
How could he have done this? She looked so hurt.... What was wrong with him, she asked. Why couldn't he ever be honest, she asked. He didn't know. He didn't know what to say when he was around her. She made him forget what he was, and made him wish he was human. He never really understood her, but he had understood her that night. They had understood each other. Now here he was making a mess of things by lying. He always kept up his guard around her... But somehow, she managed to see right through him. That bothered him, untill now.   
When he saw her on the floor, bloody, unconcious, he swore that he would never hurt her again. But here he was, hurting her in a different way. He knew now. What was it...? 'It hurts INSIDE!' That's what she said. And he was hurting her... He couldn't stay any longer. He had to go. But he had to leave her with something... Anything... 

He barely looked over his shoulder, standing on the window sill.   
"I'd like to prove it again." His voice was even softer... What in the world was he trying to tell her??? "Leave the window unlocked tomorrow night, and I'll know your answer." With that, he leapt out.   
What an odd man. One minute saying one thing, the next minute saying something else... So frustrating. She lay down again, and stared at the ceiling for a moment. What the hell was he trying to pull on her anyway? Now that he was gone, she could feel her willpower returning. Stupid man. Serves him right if she never talked to him again! She hmphed, and rolled over. And then blinked in surprise.   
Next to her clock, resting between it and the snowglobe, was a single red rosebud. 

(Next, Chapter 5 of Roses: "A Delicate Situation: Day And Night") 


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry this one has taken so long. I've been suffering from bouts of some kind of heart problem... I can't seem to keep the beats regular. They speed up, and I have troubles breathing, and then they slow again. *shrug* It concerns me, but hell... If I finish this epic before I die, I'll consider myself good enough. *weak grin* Anyway.. This is my longest chapter yet. Lemme know what you think of it!   
I'm doing my best to keep "Veggi-chan" and Bulma in character, but as it is, since they are alternate dimension characters, they're actions and thoughts are defined by (you guessed it!) me. *grin* They can do whatever they want, whenever they want. And however they want to do it.   
I'll be making an Anime Music Video soon, done to the techno version of DBGT Vegeta's theme... I'll let you know how it's coming along in future dedications.   
I do ask that if you review me, please add your email. I like to write back to the people that review me. *shrug* Just one of my things. Enjoy! -- 18 

Roses 

-- Chapter Five --   
"A Delicate Situation: Day And Night" 

Vegeta floated down, silent as a feather falling, untill he was just below the window. Then he peeked up over the sill, to watch Bulma. She looked so mad... He should've known better than to lie to her, but what else could he do? He had his reputation to save, here... Sheesh. It should be easier. Of course... If she were Saiya-jin, he would know exactly how to handle her. He played with the idea of having her invent something to change her.... But no. That wouldn't be her then. He was rather ammused with her the way she was. Even if she was weak, and easily breakable...   
He frowned then. God he felt bad... There had to be something more that he could do. He considered going back up to her, but she was really mad about him leaving. She'd probably try something stupid, like attempt to kill him, or something along those lines. He sighed. All he could do was wait. Wait and hope.   
He almost jumped out of his skin when she rolled over... Surely she wouldn't see? He would never forgive himself for this damn weakness... Arg... 

Bulma blinked, in shock for a moment, at the tiny red bud sitting on her dresser. How had it gotten there? She clearly remembered the set up of the dresser when Vegeta put down the snowglobe. Picture frame, globe, clock, powderpuff, mirror. And now there was a rose there. Vegeta must have left it...   
She took it gently in her hands, admiring the pearly petals, the tiny thorns, the finely veined leafs. It was beautiful. Vegeta was so confusing. So deep in thought, but he never made it known... And he had said that he loved her, without really saying it... She decided to leave the window open, so that she could see that side of him again. She lay down on the sheets, cradling the little bud. If this was what Vegeta was capable of, then she would be willing to wait. 

Mrs. Briefs looked up from the pan of sausages as Vegeta walked in. He looked nervous... She frowned in concern. He ususally didn't look like this after training all morning. He usually looked gruff. There was something odd about this, and she was going to find out what. She tossed on a friendly smile.   
"Goooood Morning, Vegeta!"   
He glanced up.   
"Hm."   
Well... That meant he was in a good mood.   
"Want some sausages?"   
He shook his head. That meant that something was wrong. What could be troubling him so deeply that he would turn down meat?? Time to try another tactic.   
"A Shirly Temple?"   
He glared at her, with one of his sneers. That meant no. Hm..... She shook her head and went back to the pan of sausage. Bulma usualy made breakfast for Vegeta. They must have had a big fight last night... That would explain all the noise. But he sure was acting strangly. 

Vegeta looked up in shock, not realizing that anyone was in the kitchen. He had trained two hours, just to get the shakes out of his system. He had seen Bulma naked, had touched her, tasted her skin, but still couldn't get over that fact. He felt the way he did the first time he killed a man. Only nicer. He trembled, he sweated, he paled, but he didn't vomit. That was a good thing, he assumed.   
Mrs. Briefs was asking him if he wanted things... What did she want from him? No one offered him things without expecting something in return. Not that he ever GAVE anything, but still. Bulma's mother seemed nice enough. Blonde hair, blue eyes. No resemblance to Bulma. That didn't matter with humans, he supposed. They probably had all sorts of oddities about them that he wasn't aware of.   
Maybe he was getting into more than he could handle with Bulma.... That would be a BAD thing. But then again, if it was anything like last night... It would be worth it. He grinned. She loved him. That was nice to know. But then again, if she let people KNOW, that would negate the worthiness of it all. Vegeta was very private with his feelings. Bulma was not. That was another un-understandable thing about her... He should start keeping a damn list. 

Somehow or another, Bulma had managed to sleep a few more hours without crushing the flower. When she woke, it was about 9. Just after breakfast. Damn. She had forgotten to make breakfast for Vegeta. He would have to wait, she guessed. Rising, she grabbed the clock and set the rose bud on it, and then pulled on a robe and headed downstairs.   
Reaching the hallway, Bulma sniffed the air. Sausage. That meant meat... Could Vegeta have been cooking his OWN meal? God forbid! She was in a good mood now. He may have his dark places, his deep subconcious hidey-holes, but she had found some of them, and he wouldn't be able to hide now!   
She jumped into the kitchen, a large smile on her face.   
"Hiiii!!! Good morning!"   
Bulma slid into a seat next to Vegeta, who was eating his usual six plates of meat. She reached over to touch his arm, to thank him for the rose, but he pulled away with a snarl.   
"Vegeta? What's wrong???"   
No response. He just went right back to eating... Damn he was confusing. She'd have to put that in the list she was keeping. Time for something else...   
"You wanna do something today, Veggi?"   
He just looked at her, silent. He had put on his mask again. She cursed, inwardly.   
"Don't call me that, if you value your life." 

The day passed away into night, and lightning bugs darted about on the expansive lawn of Capsule Corps. In the deep resesses of the main building, holed up in his lab, Dr. Briefs worked feverishly on his new creation. A trans-dimesional portal maker! IN A CAPSULE! He broke out into maniacal laughter. Pure genuis. Pure Genius! 

Bulma had been cursing almost the entire afternoon, and then into the evening. Damn that Vegeta... She had her journal out, and was adding many, many things to her 'Vegeta Shit List'.   
"Let's see.... Is a jerk. Is a liar. Um... Is a jerk... Is a messy eater. Never tells the truth..." She paused, thoughtfully chewing on her pencil's eraser. "But, he's good in bed." She grinned. Was it worth all the trouble? The only time he had paid attention to her was in bed, and she certainly didn't want to spend the rest of her life there... Arg.   
"He's frustrating. He's ...double sided. He's.... Oh!... What's the use???" She dropped the pencil into the journal, and slammed the cover shut, then threw the journal at her door. Sighing, she leaned foward on the bed and rested her face in her hands. She glanced out of the window: it was dark out.   
It got so late so quickly! She'd have to decide now if she wanted him there or not... He had treated her like she didn't exist all day, ignoring her when he could, and only grunting at her when he couldn't ignore her. It was a delicate situation, indeed. She wasn't sure what to do. She looked at her clock, as though it had the answers, and saw the bud.   
She left the window unlocked. 

Vegeta watched her turn out her lights, then he opened the window and silently stepped in. He stripped, and then he slipped into Bulma's bed. 

The next morning, Bulma awoke to find Vegeta already gone. Not surprising. He had more than made up for yesterday's transgressions, so she had not expected him to stay. She sat up, knees to her chest, and looked around the room. In the morning light, it was beautiful, all shades of yellow, white, and blue. Even more beautiful than the rays of the early sun was the glow of red from the window sill. He had left another rose. 

(Next, Chapter 6 of Roses: "Time Flies...") 


	6. Chapter 6

Short. Sorry. It's a pivital little segway. *grin* -- 18 ([cyborg_number_18@chickmail.com][1]) 

Roses

-- Chapter Six --   
"Time Flies..." 

Mrs. Briefs looked upon her kitchen with pride. It was clean, it was secure, and it had a bunch of little flowers on the table. She liked flowers. Especially roses. She had been cleaning Bulma's room lately, and found dozens and dozens of tiny dried roses hanging in the closet, so she put them on the table. True, she didn't have to clean the rooms (the bots did most of the cleaning), but she liked to, just to see what her daughter was getting into.   
Just the other day, Mrs. Briefs had found a rather interesting little book...... 

Bulma's diary was gone. She had looked for it everywhere, and it was gone. She was starting to panic...What if Vegeta had gotten ahold of it?? What would he say? How would he react? Vegeta would have said something about it by now, if he had had it. Some one else had to have it. But who?   
"What are you thinking about? You haven't insulted me all evening." He was aparently ammused.  
Vegeta shifted his weight so that her head lay more comfortably on his chest.   
"Nothing. Just stuff."   
"Stuff and Nothing are two different things. Who's bothering you? I'll kill them for you." Aww... How sweet. He was showing concern.   
"No one is bothering me, Vegeta." She sighed. He would never understand, even if she DID try to explain it, so why try?   
"Then why do you seem so damn distracted??" Uh oh. There was that 'I'm seriously going to kill anyone hurting you' tone again. She hated that, but it was Vegeta, and she loved Vegeta, so why change him?   
"Something of mine is lost. It's very important to me. I thought you had it, but you don't." She frowned. Why was she trying, again?? "It's a book. I write how I feel in it, and then look at it later to see if it makes any sense. I write how I feel, what happened that day, stuff like that."   
"Why would you want to do something stupid like that??" He had a frown on his face. He must be mocking 'weak humans' again. God she hated it when he did that. Hated it so much...   
"For the same reason that you keep trying to beat Goku, even though you never will!" She rolled over, fuming. Why couldn't he understand how important it was for her to get it back? Her diary had all their secrets in it! She knew how protective he got of their relationship, and if it got out that they were together, he'd never talk to her again!   
She felt Vegeta get up. Where was he going? She turned over, but he was already gone. There was no sound, and there was no rose. 

- - - 

Three days. Three days and Vegeta hadn't spoken to Bulma. Three days, she'd had to sit around and watch the two of them silently duking it out. Bulma by fuming, Vegeta by training. What was it, some kind of contest? 'See how long you can hold out against your lover?' Really... She wasn't as stupid as they would believe. Bulma hadn't left her room all day either. She guessed that Vegeta had won this round. He seemed to be training extra hard, too... Interesting.   
Mrs. Briefs leaned back with Bulma's diary. She really shouldn't leave things so important lying around... It might've been found by someone who didn't already know about their affair! She should return it to Bulma. 

Bulma heard a knock on her door, and for a split second entertained the notion that it was Vegeta. But of course he wouldn't visit her now. She had screwed things up. She sighed.   
"Go away."   
Muffled, her mother spoke.   
"I have something I think you might like to get back, dear. May I come in?"   
"No. Go away!"   
"You haven't come out all day. Come eat something."   
"No. Go Away! I don't want anything!"   
"Well... When you get tired of fighting with Vegeta, you come on downstairs and I'll make you some lemonaid and cookies, and we'll have a nice, long talk, okay?"   
Bulma didn't answer. Her mother didn't deserve an answer right now. Bulma was angry at Vegeta, angry at the world, and most of all, angry at herself.   
More knocking. Dammit. Didn't her mom get a hint???   
"GO AWAY!" She listened for a moment. A soft voice answered.   
"Bulma. It's me."   
She let Vegeta in. 

(Next, Chapter in Roses: "Blood, Buds, and Tears".) 

   [1]: mailto: cyborg_number_18@chickmail.com



	7. Chapter 7

I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!!! It has to happen, for the story to work. Pease forgive me. I don't want it anymore than you guys do. The story is also short, and I apologize for that, as well. I'll see if I can get them longer, but it's taxing. *sigh* I'll do my best, for just for you!   
Still no Video. I'm figuring out the screen shots that I should use. I already have the song, and soon (if you visit my page), you'll be able to download it and listen to it. If you wanna look for it on Napster (or Macster), it's "Vegeta Techno" or "DBGT Vegeta Theme Techno". You'll like it, honest! =^.^=   
By the way, if you should choose to Flame me, at least try to spell it right. Otherwise, all it makes me do is laugh... *embarrassed, but good natured* Sorry, but it's true! -- 18 

Roses   
  
-- Chapter Seven --   
"Blood, Buds, and Tears" 

Bulma opened the door slowly, shocked that Vegeta had come around this way. He had knocked, too, which was totally unlike him. She was afraid.   
"Vegeta..." She wanted to run to his arms, to kiss him, to hug him, to apologize for her mistake... But his face said that he wouldn't welcome her with open arms. She didn't care. She ran to him, and as she thought, he didn't hold her. His face didn't even drop down to talk to her. He wasn't tall, but the fact that he wasn't even trying to seem so scared her even more.   
"I'm leaving." What? Leaving??? No!!!   
"You... You CAN'T leave! You CAN'T! You don't know... You don't know about..." ...About the baby. 

God it hurt. Why did it hurt so badly... His mind ached with the thought of leaving her. But she had finally hurt him badly. Very badly. So badly that he couldn't even think of anything to say in his defence. He was beaten. So he did what any beaten soldier would do. He ran. Not that he wanted to, but he couldn't train here, that was for sure. He felt shame, and with that, he couldn't face her. He had to be strong for her, since she was so weak. She needed someone to take care of her, but if she didn't WANT someone to take care of her.... He had thought that she wanted him.   
All he had wanted to do was help her, and then he found out that she was upset about a stupid book... A book! So what if she wrote in it. She wouldn't have written anything that she didn't want someone else to see... Wasn't that the way books worked? You write, they read? Hmph.   
And then she insults him. For no reason, she touches on the one spot that he won't ever aknowledge. And now she's begging him to stay... What could he do? The only thing he COULD do. God it hurt. 

"Please Vegeta! Please.... Please don't leave. How long will you be gone? Why do you have to leave... Please don't!"   
"I have to. I can't train here anymore." He looked... Wrong. Wrong somehow. She never thought she'd see him like this. Broken, somehow.   
"I'm so sorry... I wanted to apologize earlier. I never should have compaired you to Goku!" She seized his hand, pressing it to hers. "I feel so bad about it... Please don't leave! I... I NEED you! I need you more than ever!" It was so painfully true that she needed him, but she didn't admit it until now. In a lot of ways, she was just as prideful as he was.   
His jaw set. He wouldn't respond, but he looked more pained than angry.   
"I have to leave now." He looked into her eyes for the first time in three days, in a year, in an eternity! And there was pain in them. And fear.   
He turned from her, pulling back his hand, and he left her then, in the doorway. No 'goodbye'. No 'I love you'. Just 'I have to leave now'. God it hurt. She couldn't hold back anymore. She screamed.   
"VEGETA! YOU CAN'T LEAVE!!!!" He didn't look back, but she thought she saw him shudder. 

- - - 

She stood in the doorway for at least a minute, in total shock. She knew that he wouldn't be coming back, and she began to cry, and she didn't try to hide it, knowing that he wouldn't walk in and comment on it, or try to help in his odd way. He wouldn't walk in and pick her up and hold her. He wouldn't even sneer at her. Her tears tore down her face, ravaging it, leaving her breathless. She felt, rather than saw, her mother, walking up and seeing her, and then leaving. At least her mom knew enough to leave her alone at that moment... She would have struck out at Vegeta, if he had been there. She screamed, alone in her terror and anguish, and then crumpled to the floor, protecting her belly.   
Gradually, her tears reduced to racking sobs, sobs to dry, heaving breaths, and she curled up on the carpet, gasping for her breath.   
And then she was aware of her hand hurting. It stung badly, and felt sticky...warm. She held it up to her face to investigate. It was bloody, very much so, and the cause of the blood was a tiny thorn imbedded deeply in the soft flesh near her thumb. She looked down, knowing what she would see.   
Crushed and bloody, it lay in the doorway. Some of it's silky petals scattered around it when it fell, and stuck to the carpet with the blood from her hand, but it was still recognizable. A rose bud. 

(Next, Chapter 8: "Resentment and Roses: The Second Coming".) 


	8. Chapter 8

Hey there. Longest chapter so far. I've been grounded, so I've had plenty of time to finish this one... All day, if I wanted. lol. Anyway, just so you know (cause I have to be all proud and stuff) the feelings that Bulma are having, the dizziness and stuff, I've felt them all last couple days. *grin* So they're as accurate as I can think of. But I am proud to say, I think it was just due to sleep-deprivation! I got some sleep (maybe like, six hours) and I feel much better. *grins wider*   
Muchly kudos to the writer of The Last Warrior, and other stories... Still can't remember your name, but I hope you don't mind me 'stealing' the odd line here and there... I really love your style of writing! =^.^= (Please don't sue me! lol)   
Well, enjoy this chapter. I'll get more in later. *nod* -- 18 

Roses

-- Chapter Eight --   
"Resentment and Roses: The Second Coming" 

Bulma was falling. Falling so quickly that she couldn't breath. Her heart was pounding, and no matter how quickly she flapped her arms, she just couldn't fly anymore. It was all pitch black, all around her. She thought she saw things, thought she heard things, around her, but there was nothing. Fleeting shadows of black on black was all she could see, and they seemed to be taunting her. They were screaming at her.   
She reached over to Vegeta, to wake him, make him wake her. Make him save her. But he wasn't there. His sheets weren't even warm... She frowned, and curled up in her sleep. 

Dr. Briefs had been working for a year on his Encapsulated Dimensional Portal Maker (Capsule #448-294-B). Golly he was a genius. He was so proud that he hugged himself tight. He was almost done. He should really call his wife and make her bring down some food... He hadn't eaten in a while. Ah... The pains of being a scientific genius. He grinned. He was starting to think like Bulma. Come to think of it, Bulma hadn't been down to her lab in quite a while. What was wrong with her? He'd ask his wife when she brought him something to eat. 

Bulma awoke with a start, her eyes snapping open, her heart racing. Trunks was crying again. She glanced at the clock. 4 am. Arg. Dragging herself from her bed and pulling a robe to her, she stood up wearily and headed towards his room. It wasn't a long walk, but her heart hadn't stopped racing yet, and she felt dizzy. So dizzy she was afraid she'd fall. She had to lean agains the wall at some points, just to keep from falling over, and the room seemed to spin. Not good.   
"Ah... Hungry are we?? My little boy." She lifted him from the crib, gently, holding him to her. His pale lilac hair rested against her chest and calmed her. She smiled. "Don't worry baby. Momma's here." Another smile, and she opened her robe just so, so that Trunks could eat. She sighed, studying his serious little face.   
"You look just like your daddy. Just like him. Your eyes, your nose..." She was sad. She tried not to cry. She had given up crying shortly after Vegeta left. She cried enough in that one day to last her for the rest of her life. Her face hardened. She hoped he never came back. Bastard.   
"He'd think that you were... Deformed, or something. Don't worry! I mean, you're not deformed. You're perfect in every way, but that's the way he is. He wouldn't appreciate that you were his son. I don't know if he'd even agknowledge you. But that doesn't matter now. You're here, he's not." She shifted the baby's weight, so that he could empty the other breast. Damn he was a strong eater... Another thing just like his papa.   
"Besides the hair color, though, you look so much like him." She sighed again, filled with a bottomless empty feeling. He looked up at her quizically, as though concerned for her. She laughed. "Always so serious!" She kissed him lightly on the forehead, so she wouldn't disturb him. She was happy again. Just a little while with Trunks would do that for anyone.   
"I do wish that he could be here, just to see you. I think he'd be proud of you, anyway. You do look just like him..."   
"I look nothing like him."   
Vegeta stepped out of the shadows. 

He had come Home. He had beaten himself up, cursed himself, damn near KILLED himself, but still he came Home. Capsule Corps was the only real home he'd ever known. Where else was he to go? He hoped that Bulma wouldn't still hate him, but he knew she would. Coming home hurt almost as much as leaving. He could still remember her cries, her pain, and that was the only thing that had kept him alive in the wilds... He had taken on asteroids, and lost, but he preservered. He would live, if only to see her angered face when he returned.   
Vegeta was surprised, though. An extra room had been added to Bulma's wing of the house. For him? No... He had had a room. Who was living there in his place? Had she found someone else? He was afraid.   
Hm... Interesting. She had left her window unlocked. Was she expecting him? He was filled with hope. In the moonlight, her face was pale. Pale even for a human... She was sick. He almost went to her, when she moved. Her quiet eyes danced under the lids, and she kept frowning. A nightmare, perhaps. She moved again, and he held his breath. She was reaching to his side of the bed, grasping the sheets weakly. He fought the urge to join her. She frowned, feeling somehow that he wasn't there. And then she broke his heart... She curled into a lonely little ball, and shivered. God! He had to go to her... He HAD to...   
Then he heard a scream. Someone was crying! He was very protective of his 'family'. They provided food and shelter for him. Glancing once to make sure she was safe, he left Bulma to kill whoever was attacking one his relatives.   
He walked through an a short hall, connected to Bulma's room. He was afraid of what he'd find. This is where the 'new' person was. Hmph... Time to find out who she was with now. Someone that cried like a baby. He smirked, satisfied that she couldn't find anyone better than him, and then stopped dead in his tracks.   
There was a baby. A real one. Not just some looser. But a baby. He leaned over the crib, nervous. Who's was it? It couldn't be his... Didn't look anyting like him... Pale hair... Was it purple? No one in the Vegeta line had purple hair! But the baby's face was familiar... Vegeta leaned over further, and put a hand in, to touch the baby's hair. Was that even REAL hair?   
The baby was sleepy, but not stupid. He grabbed one of Vegeta's fingers roughly, and pulled it to his mouth, and then proceeded to chew viciously on it. Vegeta laughed silently. This HAD to be his baby. No other baby could be this strong. He was warm. He was proud. ...He was confused. Why hadn't Bulma told him, if it was his baby??? He pulled his hand away from the chewing baby's mouth. Then the baby screamed. Vegeta jumped back into the shadows, confused. Stupid baby. He'd wake Bulma!   
And then she walked in. She was holding onto the wall, walking very slowly. She looked... Older, somehow. What had happened to her, while he was gone? He pressed himself to the wall, hiding. She picked the baby up, coohing to him gently. She was deffinately a mother... At least, he assumed this was what Human mothers acted like. He'd never seen one for himself. Saiya-jin mothers sent their babies off into space to grow up. Very different planet, this 'Earth'.   
She frowned... Then petted the baby's light hair. And she kissed him. Kissed the little baby. He could hear some of the things she was saying to the baby, but not all of them.   
"You do look just like him..." Say WHAT now??? I dun think so.   
"I look nothing like him!" He stepped out of the shadows, surprised.   
She looked up at him. She had a new look on her face, something he'd never seen before. She was quiet. She went back to the baby, ignoring Vegeta. What was wrong with this woman? One moment she's reaching for him, the next she's ignoring him! She hadn't changed at all!   
He watched her lift the baby, and put it back in the crib, and then wipe off her nipple. Hm... Interesting little brat... Straight to sleep again. It could be interesting to watch it grow up. Maybe he should stick around. 

She wasn't surprised to see him. She had known that he'd come back one day. Too much good stuff to have here... Free food, Free grav room, Free sex.... Arg. She wouldn't look at him. That was all. Just don't look at him, and it'll be fine. Just...don't....look..... She looked. God she had missed him, but he hadn't even sent a letter, or anything! Like he didn't care... And now here he was, standing in her baby's nursery, looking like a deer in headlights. She couldn't help but laugh.   
"What are you laughing at??"   
"You. You're so funny sometimes."   
"Hmph... So you ignore me, and now you mock me. Strange way to welcome a mate home."   
"A MATE, now? Hm?? What kind of mate have you been, leaving me and your child here to fend for ourselves?? Huh??" She DID have a point, and there was no way he should be able to counter that one.   
"What do you mean MY child??? He looks nothing like me! He couldn't be mine." He crossed his arms. God he was stubborn.   
"He's yours. Yours. Yours yours yours!" Her fists were tight by her sides... She was loosing it. She couldn't loose it... It would re-wake Trunks.... Couldn't have that. She wanted to curl up again... This had to be a bad dream.   
"He CAN'T be... Look at him!" He gestured to the crib. "He's got PURPLE HAIR, for god's sake! Purple! Ha... No Vegeta has ever had Purple hair."   
"First off, it's NOT purple. It's lilac. It's from my FATHER'S side of the family, if you must know. Second, He's not a Vegeta!! He's a Trunks!!!"   
At the sound of his name, Trunks woke, crying. Damn. She sighed, moving to pick him up. But Vegeta beat her to it. He picked Trunks up with one hand... Looking rather confused. Again, she laughed, realizing... He knew Trunks was his... He was just being difficult.   
"Shush. Shut up, you loud thing...." As if to mock him, Trunks piped up more. Vegeta looked panicked. "I said SHUT UP!" Trunks just cried.   
"Vegeta... He'll keep crying untill you turn him right side up again." She was holding back giggles. Vegeta had been holding Trunks up by one leg, upside down. "If you're going to hold him, at least hold him right!" She moved Trunks into one of Vegeta's arms. Vegeta stood there... and blinked confusedly. Trunks shut up, and calmed down.   
"It's a miracle..." Vegeta was grinning again... Why was he grinning? She didn't care... The picture was complete. 

He was puzzled, and ammused. Holding a baby the way one SHOULD hold a baby didn't work with this one. When Bulma had touched him, moving his arms so that he would hold the brat the 'right' way, he had felt warm... He wished that she would touch him again... It'd been so long without her. He ached, needing to be near here. But there was a thing in his arms, stopping him. He grinned, knowing that he had a tool that would allow him to stay here...   
"Someone will need to train him." He tried to look nonchalant. "He's far too strong to allow him to lay around all day and do nothing...."   
He held the baby up in one hand, and Bulma reached over, lifting his other hand to the baby.   
"Always two hands, Vegeta. Always. Baby's are fragile."   
"Not this one... If he's mine, as you say he is, then he'll survive just about anything. He can survive being held by me." His eyebrow was up... He was suggesting something, and he hoped that she'd catch on.   
Her eyes got big. Yep. She got it.   
"You're... You're going to stay?"   
"Someone has to train the Brat."   
"He's not a brat. He's a Baby."   
He shrugged. She still didn't get it.   
"He's a baby. He's mine. That makes him a brat." Another grin. She was shocked. NOW she got it.   
He studied the baby... Purple... er... 'Lilac' hair. Strong muscle tone. An attitude. Hm. Not too much of a waste of genes. He'd grow up strong, that's for sure.   
"Vegeta. Two hands. TWO HANDS."   
He wasn't aware that he had switched back to holding Trunks up by his leg. Trunks didn't seem to mind this time, though. The baby kept reaching for Vegeta's scuffed up armor, and gurgling.   
"He likes it."   
"No, he doesn't."   
"I know what my brat likes."   
"How could you?? You've only known him twenty mintues!!"   
Ah... Life was back to normal. 

The next morning, a rose rested in the vase by Bulma's bed. 

(Next: "A Strange Condition". Chapter 9 of Roses.) 


	9. Chapter 9

Ah... The night is so beautiful, don't you think? I find I can only write well at night. *sigh*   
Anyway... The rule with this chapter is Read. Don't Complain, just Read. And Think. Good luck! -- 18 

Roses

-- Chapter Nine --   
"A Strange Condition" 

It was Trunks' birthday. He was four. Bulma was so proud. She watched him playing with Goten, Goku's boy. They were flying around in circles, knocking over flatwear and dishes, and scaring bystanders. She should have known better than to have the party in a puplic park... Oh well.   
Goku had managed to get out of the after-life for a few days, just for this event. Bulma was so happy he had come. And so was Chichi. Bulma grinned. Chichi thought that Bulma had too much 'sexual tension', but seeing the way that Chichi had hung onto Goku since the moment he had come back... Well. Bulma felt vindicated. It was a shame that Gohan couldn't make it, but he had school.   
Vegeta was staying well away from Goku, she noticed. When she had sat down, he sat on the side of her that was opposite from Goku. She was surprised that he had sat down at all. He usually didn't like wooden picinic tables. He hadn't even insulted Goku after fighting the androids. Vegeta had died, again, and she was afraid it was going to be the last time he came back... But Goku had said some good words for him, and here he was. And there was Goku, being ignored by him.   
"You ok? You look nervous or something." On went his mask. She sighed. He never changed.   
"Oi... Vegeta!" Uh oh. Here comes Goku. "Vegeta... We're going to have a few rounds of 'Killer Frizbee.'.. You wanna play??? I bet you'll like it."   
"You should play Vegeta.. It'd be good for you."   
"Shut up, Woman. I know what's good for me and what's not. No, Kakarot. I don't want to play. Leave me alone." He was pouting again... She sighed, feeling light headed. Then she elbowed him.   
"Go play! I'm sure Trunks would love if his daaaddyyy played a game with him..." She was teasing him. He frowned.   
"Screw that damn game. I'm not playing something stupid like that!"   
"Why not?? I know you'll love a chance to blow shit up... You always like that. Go on!"   
Vegeta looked trapped for a moment... Then frowned, crossing his arms.   
"Nope. Not gonna do it." She sighed. The battle was lost.   
"Sorry Goku. Try again some other time, maybe?? If I could shoot ki-blasts and fly, I'd take Veggi's place." She smiled. She would've.... She should've gotten Vegeta to teach her how, but then, she was occupied in her lab now.   
She was busy with her 'project'. Years ago... God, could it really be five years, already?? Years ago, she had been injured, by Vegeta. She had been placed in a tank, and superivised. By Vegeta. But he was Saiay-jin, and she was Human, and he had done bad math. Something had gone wrong, and some form of toxin was introduced. She didn't know what it was, and she didn't know just how it had gotten in there, but she wanted to know. 

Vegeta was perturbed. Usually, Bulma didn't push him to do things that he didn't want to do. True, he did like 'Killer Frizbee'... Who wouldn't like blowing up random plates thrown at heart-stopping speeds by Super Saiya-jins??? But he didn't want to play it with Kakaroto... Did she want to get rid of him for some reason? Yamcha was here, but she had gotten over him a long time ago. The picture in the snowglobe had long since been replaced by a picture of Bulma, Trunks, and himself... Why else would she want him gone?? Or did she really just want to see him having 'fun'?? She was still confusing to him.   
A few years ago, she had insisted that they get married.   
'Really Vegeta, we should. You constantly SAY that we're mates, but on Earth, you're not considered mates until you're married!'   
'Why do you want to do that so much? Isn't it enough that we already have a brat???'   
'It's a CUSTOM. Humor me.'   
And so he did. And now he wore a ring under his glove. And she wore a ring. What was with that damn ring? It was just metal. It didn't mean anything... But after she had explained it to him, very patiently, he understood somewhat. And he was afraid everytime he saw her with it off. He would ask her where it was... He never took his off, but she would remove it sometimes, when she was in the lab. And she'd been in the lab a lot lately..... 

- - - 

Vegeta had been sitting there, thinking, when he felt Bulma lean on him. He smiled, briefly, then remembered that they were in public. He turned to her, to GENTLY berate her for showing physical attention in public.   
"Bulma. Stop it. We're in public."   
There was no response, and Vegeta looked at her, confused. She usually stopped in an instant, aware of his feelings about public displays of affection. She seemed asleep, so he looked at her more carefully.   
"Bulma? Bulma. Wake up."   
She was unconsious. He listened to her for a moment, and was amazed. Her pulse rate was astoundingly high, dangerously so, and her breathing was ragged and rythemless. She was dying, right there, in his lap.   
"BULMA!!!" It was a cry filled with a lifetime of pain and loss, helpless loss. He picked her up in an instant, and before even Goku could tell what was going on, he was flying her to the nearest hospital. 

He refused to leave her side, even after the doctors demanded it. He had threatened their lives, even though he'd promised Bulma that he would try to stop. God, he was afriad... He couldn't loose her. Not now... Not ever. The only reason that he had left her at all was because the doctors had made it quite clear, albeit in frightened voices, that they could not examine her with him blocking them from doing so.   
So now he was in the waiting room, pacing constantly, and glancing at the clock every three seconds. He had to continually fight the urge to blast his way into the emergency room. Woe to the nurses aid that annoyed him. He was in a killing mood.   
"Mr. Vegeta? Mr. Vegeta to the front desk, please."   
He was there in an instant, scaring the breath out of the dark haired nurse.   
"What's wrong with her? What is it?? Is she ok??" He was flustered...   
"Please hold on a moment, Mr. Vegeta. We need you to sign a few forms..."   
He was getting dangerously close to wasting this nurse. He leaned over the window to address her personally.   
"Fuck your forms. Where's my WIFE?" 

The Doctors were amazed. They had never seen anything like this. This woman had such an amazingly high concentration of chemicals in her body that it was almost impossible to believe that she had lived as long as she had. Or given birth to a perfectly healthy, although amazingly strong, little boy. Oh. And here was the father, bursting through doors as though they were paper... Time to back away.   
This 'Vegeta' person had wild eyes. 

Vegeta burst in with all the strength and speed he could use without destroying the hospital.   
"What's wrong with her? What is it??"   
"Mr. Vegeta, Sir... We're sorry to say this, but..."   
"What????" He jumped foward, eager, angry, and mostly afraid.   
"We don't give her much time, Sir. Her body is filled with strange chemicals, ones we've never seen before. We don't know what to do about it!" The doctor hid behind her aid.   
He felt oddly calm. A strange, deadly calm.   
"What?" His voice was even. He was so calm...   
"We're sorry, Sir. We can only do so much... We can't work miracles!" Oh lord. He was SO gonna kill them. So gonna. He felt his anger and pain rising up through his body, rising like the warm feeling he got when he was with Bulma, when they made love... Rising up through him like steam through a pipe... And then the pipe burst. 

Goku felt a surge in powerlevels, and then knew just where Vegeta was. He hoped that he could get there in time to stop any deaths. 

Vegeta felt himself snap. The thought of loosing Bulma... Just the meer thought! They would all die. All of them. He felt as though he were glowing. Glowing, an uneathly gold. 

Outside, it began to rain. 

(Next Chapter, Chapter 10: "Serendipity".) 


	10. Chapter 10

I can't believe I've gotten this far... I thought I'd have given up by now! ^_~ I just hope I can finish! *grin*   
Lemme know if you sense any plot continuity problems... I'll do my best to either fix it or explain it. Or both! Hehe. -- 18 

Roses

-- Chapter Ten --   
"Serendipity" 

The Hospital. That's where Vegeta's ki-signature was strongest. Goku hope he'd reach Vegeta in time... If Goku didn't make it, it could all be over for Vegeta. The sudden surge of power coursing through one's body when they went Super Saiya-jin was enough to kill someone, if they didn't have the control...   
And then, as though to say "nyaa!!" and stick out her tongue, Nature decided now was a good time for rain! Huh. Funny how things worked, wasn't it? 

Vegeta knew now. He knew what Kakaroto felt like. All this power... Everyone in your command... It was no wonder Kakaroto was so strong. He had this power. Ha. And now Vegeta had it. He would make the world tremble at his feet, make the world KISS HIS BOOTS!!!   
But... Something was tugging at the back of his mind. Not something... Someone. Bulma. He had promised her...   
He turned to her, watched her. The wind that his power created whipped her pale green hair around her face. She was so inert, so helpless... So beautiful. He went to her, and lifted her gently from the sheets. No one stopped him. One of the doctors passed out, thudding to the ground.   
Vegeta turned his cool, cruel gaze on the other doctors.   
"I will not soon forget this."   
And then he flew up, straight through the roof, sheilding Bulma with one hand. 

Goku got there just in time to see Vegeta tear through the roof of the hospital, something white and limp in his arms. Vegeta, or checking for survivors? The first time wasn't easy. It was hard to concentrate on your objectives when you went super Saiya-jin. Goku himself had had more than his share of difficulty keeping from killing Freezer instantly. And Vegeta didn't exactly have the strict self control that Goku prided himself on. Checking for survivors it was. Vegeta would fall out of SSJ eventually, and Goku could follow after him and make sure no one else was hurt. He nodded to himself, then flew down into the hole that Vegeta had left behind him. 

- - - 

She woke out of inky blackness, and left behind demons that were screaming for her blood. She still couldn't see. There was wind in her hair, fresh breezes, gale force storms, all sorts of gusts and zehpers, all at once. Her head hurt, but she could smell Vegeta nearby. That was good. It meant she was safe. She reached for him, and he held her hand gently.   
"You ok now?" He sounded so concerned... It must be bad, or he would just mock her for her Human weaknesses. But there was something different in his voice, something she was familiar with, but couldn't quite nail down.... She'd figure it out later.   
All she could get out was a weak grunt. She laughed at herself... She sounded just like Vegeta right after he woke up in the morning!   
"You passed out." Thank you for stating the obvious, Vegeta. Her head ached. She was thirsty too, her throat was painfully dry.   
"Water..?" Bulma was amazed at how quiet and pained her voice sounded. What had happened? She felt dizzy again.   
After a few moments, she felt something cool brush her lips, and realized with a start that it was glass. A strong hand behind her back helped to push her up to a drinking possition. She sipped, and her throat hurt badly. It felt like it was swollen to the size of a thick lead pipe!   
"You blacked out again. I had to wait for you to wake up." Huh? When did this happen?   
"How...How long was I out??"   
"About three hours this time. Better than four days. That's your record so far." Record? Had she blacked out that many times? What had happened???   
"Trunks..."   
"He's alright. He was worried about you, but I calmed him down." God? Please don't let him say that he had threatened Trunks. "And no, I didn't threaten him. I just told him that you'd be ok in while. He sat in here with you for a day or two, but got so tired he fell asleep. I carried him to bed, so he wouldn't wake up and find you unconcious again. ...Or something." A note of sorrow in his voice. Something was definately wrong, but what? Why wouldn't he tell her?   
"What...." She coughed, interupting her sentence... Oh it hurt... She swallowed with difficulty, and was glad when she felt the glass at her lips again.   
"Don't try to talk anymore. You'll get tired." Was this HER Vegeta? The same one that had teased her every chance he got?   
"Shut up, you old fool... And tell me what the hell happened..." More coughing. She felt like she was hacking up a lung, and she tasted blood. 

Waiting. Nothing but waiting. Bulma was feverish at times, twisting and turning in her unconcious nightmares. He knew that she was fighting for her life, and all he could do was wait. After getting her settled and falling out of SSJ, he had sent Trunks away. No son should have to witness their mother in such pain. As for Vegeta? Just waiting, and the familiar feeling of being helpless. He lived his entire life in different types of Helplessness, but this was a new one to him. He couldn't do anything for her, only cool her fevers with icewater and rags, or hold her when she cried out. He hadn't left her side in this week, not even to eat.   
Sometimes she would come through the mists of her nightmarish dreams long enough to say something to him. Most of the time, she asked for things that he couldn't give. Asking him to save her, pleading him in a voice he found hard to ignore. There was no way that he could help, but lord knows that he had tried. He even tried praying, leaving her bedside long enough to fly to the nearest temple and light a stick of incense for her. Nothing seemed to work.   
"You should sleep now."   
"Oh hush... I've had enough sleep, according to you." She was joking, but her raspy voice held such pain in it that it was hard to believe she COULD joke.   
"You still should. You're still weak." He touched her forehead, checking for another fever. Bulma's mother, had been a huge help. She had taught him what she called 'tricks of the trade', things that Bulma had done for Trunks. Womanly things. His nose twitched in barely repressed repulsion, but as long as Trunks didn't know that Vegeta was doing 'womanly things', it was alright. Had to set an example for the boy.   
"Can...Can you even see me, Bulma? Can you see??" She was staring at the ceiling, and he knew the answer before she said it.   
"...No. I can't." She squeezed his hand tighter. "But I can smell you, and I can smell the roses you brought in. I know you're there, and that's all that matters, right?"   
"Is there anything that I can do?" He was lost again. He pulled his hand away from hers just long enough to remove his gloves, then slipped her hand back in. It was so small compared to his. He almost cried.   
There was nothing he could do. 

Night had fallen, and Trunks was busy helping Granpa clean out the lab. It was easy work, but Granpa kept huffing and puffing about it, like it was hard.   
"Yo! Where do you want this thingy??" Trunks held up a huge console, with little effort.   
"Oh! Carefull, carefull! That's very expencive!" Granpa looked so funny when he'd wave his arms around... heheh....   
"Ok... Where do you want it?"   
"In the corner, over there." Granpa pointed to a corner, almost hidden behind rows of counters. Trunks moved to carry the console over to the corner, holding it high above his head to avoid knocking over the items on the counter.   
Granpa was lookin at him funny again... Kinda scared, kinda not. It confused him. He couldn't understand why Poppa had sent him away. Mama was hurting. He should be there, not in this stinky old lab with stinky old Granpa. Gramma Bunny was alright. She made him food and drinks and stuff. But Granpa? He was always down here in this lab... Trunks sniffed the air near the corner. It was stuffy. Granpa didn't get out much.   
"Oops!" Trunksn had accidentally knocked into one of the counters, and a whole bunch of pills fell off it. They scattered and rolled on the floor in all different directions. "Sorry Granpa, I'll clean it up, promise!"   
Trunks set the console down with a hollow thud, and bent to pick up the pills. No.. .Not pills. Capsules. He studied them. This one was for that neat little motor-bike that mom built, and this one was for a house... What was this one?? He read the lable. 'EDPM - Capsule #448-294-B'? He wasn't familiar with it...   
He stuck it in his pocket so that he could ask his mom later. 

(Next chapter: "Big Things Come In Little Packages") 


	11. Chapter 11

Do your best not to flame me. It's all in the plot.   
I apologize for the massive amount of mispells in the last chapter.. I was very tired when I wrote it. I think it was about 4 am... lol. I'll get around to fixing them, promise!   
And yeah, I am aware that Bulma seems to be all weak and constantly dying and stuff, and I'm sorry... But what would Vegeta be without someone to constantly rescue?? *grin*   
Oh... Does anyone know where I can find a huge store of Anime music?? [Email me if you do][1]. Thanks! -- 18 

Roses

-- Chapter Eleven --   
"Big Things Come In Small Packages" 

Trunks didn't think that Granpa would mind if he took one of the capsules... There were so many there, so missing just one wouldn't hurt anyone. He patted his pocket, checking to see that it was there before he left. Momma would be so proud of him!   
He went upstairs, out of the basement lab, and walked up the hallway to Bulma's room. He heard quiet sounds, like someone coughing real slow.   
"Poppa?"   
Poppa looked up from where he had been bent over Momma's form, and his eyes were red and dull. He must have a cold.   
"You have a cold, Poppa?? Momma will fix it." Trunks walked over to Bulma's bed, and poked her arm gently. "Momma. Wake up. Poppa has a cold." She didn't move, and her skin was cold, and her face was white.   
"Trunks. Go to your room. Now." Poppa sounded different, all quiet. It was scary. Trunks was scared.   
"Poppa... I found something in Granpa's lab, and I want Momma to lookit...."   
His father rose, slowly, looking tired and ragged.   
"Go to your room."   
"But I didn't do anything wrong!!"   
Poppa's eyes narrowed, dangerous looking. Trunks ran. 

Vegeta held her hand for a long time. She was cooling down, fast, and he knew there was nothing he could do but lend her his energy. But even that would run out someday. He cried. The third time in his life that he cried. He had cried untill he couldn't cry anymore, and only then did he understand why Bulma had cried.   
'It hurts INSIDE, Vegeta... It hurts INSIDE!'   
He hurt. Bulma's breathing only grew shallower, untill there was barely a rasping, even to his higher senses. She was going to die. He cried again. 

Blue and black and gold. A little white... That was Vegeta. Some purple and pinks made up Trunks. Yellow and white for Mom... No dad. At least she could see some now, but Bulma was afraid, because she was cold. So cold that she shook. She wanted to tell Vegeta to turn up the heater, but he was crying.   
She lifted a hand to his eye, to wipe his tears away, but she ran out of strength.   
Her hand fell. 

- - - 

Trunks layed down on his bed and played with the capsule. He would drop it, then knock it to one side with one hand, then back to the other. He wanted   
to open it, he wanted to open it real bad. But he couldn't. Not yet. He had to play with it. He had to measure his opponents weaknesses and strengths. That's what Poppa told him. Always play with your opponent.   
Why was Poppa so mad at him? Trunks didn't know. He was scared, yes... But Momma hadn't come out of her room since his birthday. Didn't she like the cake? 

Vegeta was afraid again.   
Bulma wasn't responding to him anymore, no grunts, no glares, no smiles... Her face was cold now, and he couldn't hear her breathing anymore. He could just barely hear her heart beating, but it wasn't quick anymore. It was sluggish.   
Vegeta knew what to do this time. 

Trunks smacked the capsule off of the bed and across the room. It hit the wall with a hollow ponk, then fell to the ground, leaving a small dent behind it.   
Stupid pill... Couldn't help Momma. If Poppa couldn't, then NOTHING could.   
The capsule gave a little pop, and then a hissing sound issued from it. Usually, he was not a coward, but Trunks hid from the capsule as it exploded. When the smoke cleared, Trunks felt it was safe to rise again. Ah... What was this? There was a little computer on the ground.   
Huh. Lap top? In a capsule? This isn't even a laptop... It's a remote control or something. Momma would tell him what it is. 

Vegeta walked down the hall slowly, lost in his own confusion and pain. He was covered in tank juice. He had spent a full hour going over every single connection in the tank, making sure that there were no leaks. The notes that Bulma had taken for him on math were helping him a lot as he punched in all the right numbers for a human. Now all he could do was wait. Always more waiting.   
He rememered the first time he had placed Bulma in a tank. The hours of anxious waiting, sweating, punching wrong numbers and then repunching them... ...The vision he had had when the toxins permiated her body.... The boy with the purple hair and the item that could save her life... Now he knew.   
Vegeta went to Trunks. 

(Next, Chapter 12: "Tajigen Fun") 

   [1]: mailto: Cyborg_number_18@chickmail.com



	12. Chapter 12

An asterix (*) means check the bottom for translation. Do it AFTER you read the chapter, please? Thanks to Massive Attack for making the song 'Tear Drop'. It's been a huge inspiration for this chapter. And thanks to all of y'all, for reading this stuff! A story is only worth the people that read it, ya know. *wink* That means you, BulmaBabe! *grin* Again, if you review, please put down your email! Or at the very least, a name, so that I can give you kudos for a good idea. =^.^=   
Ok... Originally, this was supposed to be one chapter, but I decided that it was too long for one chapter, so I split it into two parts.   
If anyone knows the name/email of the woman that wrote The Last Warrior (a story about Mirai no Trunks and a half-saiyan woman named Shiatar), please [send it to me][1]!!! I've been desperately searching for her for two years now. -- 18 

Roses

-- Chapter 12 --   
"Tajigen* Fun: Part One" 

Little lights flashed, and little sounds beeped. Trunks watched wide eyed as the little remote control lit up in at least a thousand different colors. He picked it up, and it felt warm, but when he touched it, bolts of electricity shot of out two metal buttons on the end and formed a glowing green box. Trunks could see the faintest outline of a blue-green world, and something else... 

Vegeta saw green light coming through the cracks of Trunks' door. He roared, sliding around the corner on one foot and one hand, then slamming into Trunks' room. A plume of dust and debris rose behind him. Vegeta eyes were wild again.   
"TRUNKS!!!! Whatever you have, Give It To Me!!! Give it to me NOW!" 

Trunks' knew when to argue and when not to. Vegeta looked PISSED, so he handed over the remote without a second thought. Though, why Poppa wanted it so badly now when he didn't want it at all before was a mystery. 

This was it? This thing, this sad excuse for a personal gaming machine? Vegeta looked into the square frustrated, as confused with technology as ever.   
"What the hell is this suposed to be?"   
"That's the thing in the pill that I wanted Momma to see. It's neat."   
"I see that. What does it do? How do you work it?" He couldn't believe that he was asking a Brat for advice, but he handed the remote back to Trunks anyway. "Make it work."   
"Ask Granpa, not me. I dunno how." Trunks shrugged.   
Vegeta bonked Trunks on the head lightly, with the flat of his fist.   
"Wrong answer. Make it work." 

Trunks rubbed his head lightly... Why'd Poppa have to hit him? He'd already told Poppa that he didn't know how to work it... Wait... What's this? Trunks studied the controls. There was a little velcro strap, so that one could tape it to one's arm... Trunks wrapped it around his arm and pressed the little hooks to the felt, then looked at the buttons. This one would have been the most likely to be hit first, and this one here... What did this one do? Trunks pushed the button. 

Vegeta watched Trunks intently, and nearly cursed him. How in the world had HE gotten better at technology than Vegeta? True, Vegeta had never really cared for the lessons in computer technology that Bulma had offered him, but Trunks was four, and the boy was sitting there, look of concentration on his small face, making the Square wider and more stable. It was kinda funny... Must be Bulma's genes. He sighed.   
"Come on, Brat... Make it work."   
He could feel himself loosing his patience, and it wasn't fun. 

Dr. Briefs was in his lab. He hid there, if there was something he didn't want to get involved in. Sure, he cared about Bulma, but Vegeta scared him, and so did the kid. Trunks was adorable, anlbeit somewhat annoying and a bit clumsy, but he was way too strong to have come from Bulma. He could hear the loud thuds and shouts of Vegeta in one of his small rages, and he ducked lower to the counter. He had been counting the capsules that Trunks had knocked off of it earlier. Clumsy boy... Cute though.   
A computer's face lit up, flashing an urgent warning over it's glassy surface. A big power surge? In Trunks' room?? The doctror sighed. Trunks had the same feel for techno-adventure that Bulma had, but coupled with his unusual strength, it could turn out badly. He was probably messing with the light sockets again.... He'd have to put saftey covers on all the electrical surfaces... Not that it would matter: Trunks would just rip them off anyway.   
The EDPM was missing... He was puzzled, sure that he had locked that one up. The power in it was far too intense for anyone to be ready for. Maybe in a few more years, but not now. Wait. Trunks... clumsy...knocks over capsules... And now a power surge in his room? Could it be? No. Yes? No... Trunks wasn't that smart. At least, he HOPED Trunks wasn't that smart.... 

- - - 

Trunks grinned, satisfied with himself. He had finally gotten the stupid thing to work, after a few hours of process of elimination and lots of hard thinking. He would never understand why Momma had devoted herself to this kinda thing, and he didn't think he wanted to understand. It was just the way Momma was. Poppa had left a few hours ago to check on her again.   
The green box that floated in the air in front of him was interesting. It was a little like a floating picture frame, showing a landscape of blues and greens and yellows and blacks, and occasionally, something would fly by as fast as Poppa did. It was nice to look at, but only for a little while. Trunks found that if he stared at it too long, chills would creep up his spine and he'd have to look away in panic, like something was wrong with the picture. He didn't like that too much, but he knew that Poppa would yell at him if he closed the box up, or he might even do something worse than yell. Trunks wasn't stupid. He'd heard the things that his Poppa had done while he was younger, but every boy's daddy is perfect until he proves otherwise. Didn't mean he didn't have anything to fear, though... 

Vegeta had dozed off at the console, and he woke up with a start, panicked. How long had he been out? Was Bulma ok? Had Trunks gotten that damn thing to work yet? He checked the information readouts on Bulma's condition. Heart rate weak, but stable. That was good. Body fluids low in nutrients, but that was to be expected.   
Where were her parents during all this? Vegeta had learned enough about parenting to know that a father was supposed to be concerned about the welfar of his child, so why wasn't Bulma's sad excuse for a father here watching after her? Though it would make perfect sense if he'd still be in the lab, doing god knows what, but still. Wasn't he supposed to care about her?   
He glanced at Bulma, floating naked and helpless in the tank. A few bubbles escaped from her mouth peice, as though she were greeting him.   
"I know you can hear me, Bulma." He called her by her name, instead of 'woman'. This was important, and she'd have to remember it.   
"Listen carefully. I'm about to do something that you would call stupid." He walked over to the tank, and rested his forehead against the glass. "You'll think I'm stubborn for this, and you're damn right." His eyes closed. He could feel himself fiddling with his wedding ring, but he had taken Bulma's off, because the tank and metal didn't get along.   
"I... I'm gonna go somewhere. I'm really sure where this place is. Trunks found a capsule with some kind of controller in it, and he accidentally opened a portal to someplace. I'm going to go check it out, and hopefully find something to help you." He squirmed, uncomfortable admitting his needs.   
"I wish you could show me that you could hear..." He pressed a hand to the cool glass, feeling the flow of the liquids within the tank. "Just... Let me know, somehow... So I know that you'll live a few more days. I...can't live without you, Bulma." 

Ouch. Bulma's lungs hurt bad, and it was hard to breathe. Floating again, maybe in the tank? Vegeta loved her... He wouldn't have hurt her again, would he? Why else would she be in the tank? Ah! A voice, and it was Vegeta! She was saved! He sounded so sad though, and his voice cracked every now and then, like he was fighting for control over his emotions. She felt a wave of warmness pass over her, and knew that he was trying to touch her, and it felt so good. What was he saying? Something about a capsule and a whole different world.   
She wished that he wouldn't scare her so badly... He sounded so muffled through the glass... She reached out to touch him, to make him feel better, to kiss him, to hug him, to love him!   
She felt the juices of the tank resisting her movement. That made sense, because they had been designed to protect the immured person from movement so that broken bones could heal properly. Bulma fought against the force of the jelly-like liquid, trying desperately to reach the glass, to touch him. Victory! The glass was cool and smoothe and soothing, and she could feel his warmth on the other side of the glass, reaching for her, needing her. She was happy again, and she could feel bubbles escaping from her mouth peice as she smiled. Then she grew weak again, and pulled from the glass, but she didn't really want to. Her body took over her mind, and curled up into a fetal ball, and slept. 

Vegeta smiled to himself, knowing she had understood. He pulled his hand from the tank's glass, feeling as though a part of him was staying with her. But enough of that: It was time for business.   
Vegeta walked out of the med lab, leaving a lonely hand print on the glass. It slowly faded away. 

Trunks was alarmed when his father strod purposefully into his bed room. Vegeta put out a hand, gesturing for the controller, and Trunks had to fight the urge to be childish and claim the object as his. Finders keepers, after all. Trunks had really wanted to see what was in the picture frame. He had tried putting his hand through the box, and it had felt amazingly cold, to the point that Trunks was afraid his fingers would freeze! He shrugged to himself, desiding that a beating wasn't worth a stupid little controller, and handed it to his father.   
"Hey Poppa... What are you gonna do with it? What happens if it doesn't work from that side?" Trunks was really worried this time... If Poppa didn't come back, who would take care of Momma??   
Vegeta only shrugged.   
"Show me the buttons."   
"This one turns it on," Trunks showed his poppa, proudly, "and this one turns it off. This one over here makes the box bigger, and this one makes it smaller... And this knobby thing makes the box more stronger or breaks it down. That's all I've had time to figure out."   
Vegeta patted Trunks' head with a prideful, though slightly sad, smile. Trunks had done more in two hours than Vegeta could have done in a whole day. He was a smart kid.   
"Trunks. Promise me something."   
"Yeah Dad?"   
"If I don't come back, take care of your mom. She'll need it, and you're the only one I'd trust with her."   
"You'll come back though. Why tell me to do it, when I KNOW you'll come back?" Trunks was in pain... Was his father really insinuating that he may not come back? The strongest man in the world, besides Uncle Goku, saying that he might possibly LOSE? Impossible.   
"Promise it." Vegeta was deadly serious.   
"Ok... But You'll come back, so I won't have to." No response from his father.   
"I might be gone for a long time. Go out hunting, if you get hungry." Then Vegeta did something that shocked Trunks straight to his little purple-haired core. Vegeta hugged him.   
"I'm proud of you, boy." 

(Next Chapter: "Tajigen Fun: Part Two")   
*Tajigen - Multi-dimensional. 

   [1]: mailto: cyborg_number_18@chickmail.com



	13. Chapter 13

Oo... The lucky chapter (#13)... What will happen this time? Just for Ravyn Night, I'm putting in a kitty. =^.^= *Ryo-ohki 'meow'*   
Again, asterix(*) means check the bottom for translation after you've read... bla bla bla.   
I'm trying something different this time... I just wrote and wrote, and didn't think about it till I thought it was long enough. Lemme know what you think, k?   
I've found Nora Jemison (author of The Last Warrior), thanks to all you lovely people, you... *swells with pride and joy* Thankyou!! Now I can read her good stuff again... *drool* 

Roses

-- Chapter Thirteen --   
"Tajigen* Fun: Part Two" 

It was getting late. Bunny decided that now would be a good time to get her husband out of that lab for something to eat. She'd been working in the fruit garden all day, and gotten too hot to work any longer. Then she saw explosions of wood and fiberglass flying out of the ceiling. She mumbled as she headed toward the house.   
"What has that Vegeta gotten up to THIS time?... ooo I hope it's not Trunks. He's such an adorable little thing. Of course, he looks nothing like that Vegeta... I really don't see what Bulma sees in him... He's sweet enough, I suppose, but he really doesn't have an understanding of the human female's spirit... Or he didn't... He seems alright now, I guess... Hmmm..."   
She walked into the kitchen, and saw Trunks sitting in one of the wooden chairs, with his head down on the table. He'd been crying, and Trunks' never cried.   
"Trunks! What's wrong? What happened?" She rushed to him. "Why are you crying??"   
The little boy wiped his nose with his sleeve, a disgusting habit that she didn't say anything about because she didn't want Vegeta on her case. He shook his head.   
"I'm not crying. Saiya-jin royalty doesn't cry." He straightened his back, proudly, then sniffed, and a nasty mucusy drip ensued. Mrs. Briefs got him a tissue, then sat down in one of the seats, handing it to him, but the little boy had already taken care of his problem with his sleeve. She shuddered.   
"Then why is your nose running a marathon?"   
The boy sniffed again, and took the tissue. He folded it and refolded it with his snotty little hands, making it a creased and soggy mess. Hm... That joke usually made him smile, but he didnt... Something must be terribly wrong. Mrs. Briefs held out a bowl of cherries that she had recently picked.   
"Want some? I was going to make a pie, but they're too ripe for it." Of course, she was lying. Trunks loved cherries.   
He took one by the stem with grubby fingers.   
"Ah ah ah ah! Wash your hands first."   
"Sorry Gramma." He walked to the sink, and then floated so that he could reach the tap. The effect was a disorienting. First, he was just a normal boy, and then there would be a reminder of his alien traits, such as flying, or kicking the bag so hard that it tore a hole through the ceiling. And then there was Vegeta. Ah... Sweet, sweet Vegeta. She smirked. Vegeta, the ever polite, the always neutral, always loving and caring..... But no. She shouldn't talk about Bulma's husband that way. It was rude.   
Trunks returned, hands still a little soapy, but that was probably all the better. He grabbed a few cherries, and shoved them into his mouth.   
"You know, Trunks, in lands far away, over the border between here and South Continent, there's a place called China. The Chinese say, 'Solving a problem is like consuming a cherry. Eat the flesh until you reach the center. Once you've done that, it's a simple matter of spitting out the pit.' Does that make sense to you?"   
He looked up at her, with his mouth stuffed full of cherries, his lips bright red, and blinked. No... He didn't understand.   
"You have to address the problem, the Cherry, you see. Then you work at it, take it apart until it makes sense. Gotta eat the Flesh, untill you've found the part that was bothering you, the Pit. Then you just, spit it out."   
His mouth was still full, but he answered anyway.   
"Mophky... Hai shee..." He swallowed the huge ball of cherry mass that he had been building up in his mouth, then spit out the seeds he'd hid in the pocket of his cheek. "So what do you mean? Like, go out and beat somethin'?"   
"No no. Talk about it... Go layer by layer." 

Was she crazy? How in the world could Trunks tell her that Poppa had left, and Momma was half-dead? He could feel the tears coming on again, even though the cherry taste was still fresh in his mouth.   
"Momma's gone. Poppa's gone." He shrugged, trying to make light of it.   
"Where'd they go?"   
"Momma's in a tank, and Poppa went through a box." Uh oh.... Not sounding very convincing, Trunks...   
This time, it was Mrs. Brienfs that blinked. She wasn't getting it.   
"A box?"   
"Yes. A floaty green box."   
She blinked again.   
This would take a little bit of time. 

- - - 

Vegeta stepped into the square, and froze. The air was black, and it was so cold that he couldn't even breathe. His eyeballs felt as though they were hardening and turning into icy stone, thickening, hardening into masses of rock... And then he fell out of the square, and landed on his face in a pile of dirt.   
"What the hell is this.....?" He lifted himself, looked over the pile and spat out a few clods. There was sand in his teeth, and he didn't like it. He spat again, and sat up, looking around. The area was a wasteland.   
There were no trees, only grasses and shrubs. It was hot, and he could see the heat rising off the ground to meet a gray sky. There was smoke, swirling from ruined charred masses. He jumped up into the air, to get a better glimse of his surroundings, and was shocked to see that he had been inside Capsule Corps, and that it had been destroyed! Nothing was left but the foundations, the roof laying about thirty meters away, doors buried in hills of sand. Where was Bulma? Where was Trunks? Vegeta begane to panic, then swept the area for any signs of life. Twenty meters, nothing. Thirty meters, nothing. Fourty meters... SOMETHING!   
He touched down, his weight causing a cloud of dust to mingle with the wind of his power, and searched for the source of the energy. It blipped gently, in the back of his mind, this firm knowledge of something he knew... some thing familiar, and the scent... The scent of familiarity was overwhelming. He came to a large pile of rubbish. That's all it could have been discribed as, with the random peices of wood, paper, and cans built up around it, but if one looked closer, one could tell it was a crude home, but it smelled like Bulma.   
"Oi... Bulma?"   
A gasp, then silence.   
"Bulma... What happened? Did your father blow up the house?" He was half joking, but still concerned. This was his home, as well.   
A young boy stepped out from between two crosse pieces of tinder wood. Vegeta scoffed. The boy couldn't have been much older than ten, and he seemed puny even for that age. He had dark hair, and a fair complexion, but the thing that stood out the most about him was that his hair stood straight out at least two feet from his scalp. Vegeta's mouth fell open of it's own accord. The boy silently took a defencive fighting stance.   
"Boy.... Who are you?" No response from the boy, but he was so familiar smelling that Vegeta had to ask one more question.   
"Who's your mother, boy??"   
The boy's dark brows lowered, and his sharply peaked nose sniffed the air around him. He seemed to weaken for a moment, his clear eyes a beautiful, familiar shade of blue, but then the moment passed.   
"Boy. What is your name, at least? I never fight someone who's name I don't know."   
"Boxer. You?" The boy's voice was surprisingly deep, for someone so small looking, and Vegeta belatedly noticed tough, wirey muscles under the boy's skin. The boy, Boxer, looked wary, as though he had seen his fair share of adventure and wanted no more. His face was dirty.   
Vegeta sighed. Might as well give the full title...   
"I am Vegeta, Crown Prince of the planet Vegeta." He heard a sharp exclamation, and the sound of someone running, to his left. Vegeta turned to face the opponent, but was shocked when a very ragged Bulma fell into his arms, sobbing.   
"Vegeta!" She showered his face with kisses, leaving him completely startled, befuddled into silence. "Get inside, before They come looking for you!" She looked around nervously, and Boxer turned on his heel and walked into the make-shift home.   
Bulma herded him into the shack, then handed Vegeta a bowl filled with some kind of sludge. She seemed a little afraid, but mostly relieved that he had escaped unharmed, from something that he had been unaware of. She asked him all sorts of questions that he didn't know the answers to, about all sorts of places that he had never been to, but he tried his best to answer truthfully.   
"Is it true that they build the cities out of human bones??? What are they, really? We only saw them when they came to get YOU.... I was so worried... This is Boxer." She pulled the quiet boy to her. "See? He's all grown up!"   
Bulma was obviously confused, and Vegeta let her rant while he took another bite of the VERY small stew that Boxer had made out of a few home planted turnips and some bird meat. Vegeta wasn't quite sure what kind of bird it was, but it tasted alright. Bulma could do less for a son...   
"Who are 'they'?? I don't know who you're talking about." He slurped the rest of the soup noisely, then gently set his empty bowl down on a stump nearby. "I didn't go anywhere, apparently...." He looked around. If Capsule Corps had not been destroyed, then this would have been the basement of Bulma's wing, near her lab, and the area that he had fallen into would have been Trunks' room.   
He did his best to explain, and she understood by the end of the short meal. She had already learned how to deal with Vegeta, if not the one she was speaking to. He surpized himself then, by asking her her side of the story. 

Bulma leaned back on a pile of what appeared to be plastic bags, or some other such nonsense, took a long breath, and began.   
"Boxer told me that some strange man, you, had appeared out of a glowing green hole in the sky, and had dropped down into the rubble that used to be our home. Naturally, I told him to check you out. When Boxer described the you, I almost cried out for him to stop playing with my old heart, but when I SAW you, I nearly fainted, and then when I heard your name, I ran to you, thinking you were Him. You are the splitting image of my husband, you see. He's been missing these ten long years. Boxer grew up without a father, under the reign of the terrible cyborgs. There are two of them, a woman and a man, and together, they are the most ruthless of rulers...   
"I don't remember well, because it's been 10 years since I saw them, but I do remember somethings about them...   
"17 was the man's name. He had hair as black as the vaccum of space, and a handsome chisled face, but his eyes were a cold blue, and his smile was so evil that it made me shudder. He kills indiscriminately, flying through towns and ki-ing down the innocent women and children, letting the gangs run wild. He revels in the feeling of fear that he generats in the poor people of West Capital.   
"He's the one who built the Black Army, and made all the males of the surrounding towns and countries join it. He came personally for Vegeta, hearing that he was strong, and Vegeta fought him and lost. They had taken my beaten up Vegeta away in a cage, like some sort of animal, and I still remember the look in his eyes..."   
She shuddered visibly, obviously pained, while Boxer unobtrusivly gathered all the dishes and began to scrub them with sand. A small, thin black kitten ran around Boxer to Vegeta, and proceeded to rub against his legs. He felt disgust, but forced it down, and Bulma continued.   
"18 is 17's twin sister, though they don't look alike. Her hair was a deep gold, like daisies at the end of summer, her face angular yet soft looking, but her eyes were the same cold blue as her brother's. She almost never smiled the entire time, but when she did, it was a scary mix of ammusement, beauty, pity, and insolence. Some of the People worship her as their savior, because she is supposedly much kinder than her brother. She judges people by their actions, not their words, and she keeps 17 in check. She was satisfied with merely scaring the people, and left without killing, and she urges 17 to do the same.   
"She has kept the people alive by providing the occasional opportunity for work, and she has made sure that there was almost always a chance to steal from the food stores of West Capital if there was a draught or flood or other Act Of God.   
"However, she does have the capacity for terrible deeds, especially if she judges someone to be guilty of something..." She shuddered, then went on. "Well, I suppose 18 isn't all that bad, but she seems kinda weak minded, cause she almost always goes along with her brother, whatever he says..."   
Vegeta sat in silence, contemplating. These weren't the cyborgs that he had fought in his world. 

(Next, Chapter 14: "The Quick and The Dead")   
*Tajigen - Multidimensional 


	14. Chapter 14

Kudos to Dean Koonts (Dragon Tears) for the 'talking animal' bit. Please don't sue me? ='.'=   
I guess when you're actually Writing something, it seems much longer than it is... Puzzling, but somewhat understandable. And yes, I'm aware that I switched tenses (ie: look, looked, looking) when I was writing the cat's part, but cat's LIVE in the present, don't they? It makes sense *wink* Trust me. ^_^   
Oooo! Oooo!! I'm in this one!! Lookit lookit!! I'm in it... lalalal... Ok... So I'm a badguy... My Bad... *sigh* -- 18 

Roses

-- Chapter Fourteen --   
"The Quick and The Dead" 

Dr. Briefs was deeply disturbed by what Bunny had told him. According to her, Trunks' HAD been smart enough to work the Encapsulated Dimensional   
Portal Maker, and had been stupid enough to let Vegeta go through. Even given Bulma's condition, and his devotedness to finding a cure, Vegeta could not be allowed to wreak havoc on an innocent dimension. Dr. Briefs would have no other choice... He would have to send someone in after Vegeta.   
Trunks arrived back home, bearing a slightly sleepy Goku behind him. Dr. Briefs explained the situation, and Goku had spent most of the time yawning and nodding.   
"So you'll do it??"   
"Nope." He yawned, and leaned back against the chair. "Vegeta's learned enough not to hurt anyone... I wouldn't be too concerned." He shrugged, then looked around. "Hey... You got any food?" 

"No. I won't do it. I won't do something so stupid and useless."   
"Calm down, Boxer... Calm down... We have to defeat them somehow, and besides you, he's the strongest person still alive. Everyone else is dead, you know that."   
"I don't care. I don't like his attitude..."   
"That doesn't matter. And you DO know him. He's your father, even if this one's from another dimension. You've got to do it."   
"Why me???"   
"Because you're the same race, same gender, and you have almost the same powerlevels..."   
"But it's... it's... it's STUPID!"   
"Oh hush. The sooner you do it, the sooner it'll be over."   
The little black kitten wandered over to Boxer and rubbed against his leg, purring. He gently picked it up, and pet it protectivly.   
"Just think: If you DON'T do this, Neko will die. And so will you. And Me. And Alice, that nice girl from South Border...?"   
He grimaced, gingerly pulling Neko's claws out of his shirt.   
"Oh... Leave Alice out of this, Mom! I'll do the stupid little dance..." He wasn't happy, but his Mom was smiling for the first time in ten years, and he could live with doing something ridiculous if it would make her smile. 

Vegeta sighed. He hated this thing. Whoever had invented the Fusion Dance, probably one of the Kaio-shin, had to have had major problems. A few stupid poses, and then WOOSH. The result... What could he expect with this Boxer? He didn't know what to think. The boy was obviously his, if not HIS... It wouldn't be too hard to fuse with him. The boy was strong, too. Vegeta supposed that one HAD to grow up strong, especially to take care of this Bulma. She was nothing like his Bulma. This one was all talk, no function, but he suspected that this is what his Bulma would've been like if she hadn't had her lab to keep her quiet. He was suddenly very homesick. ...But nevermind that... There was the boy.   
Boxer emerged from the little hut, that damned black cat stuck to his shoulder, his face flushed. Ah... She had told him about the Dance, he saw. Good. Less for him to do. He shuddered God he hated this dance...   
"Boy. Get that thing off of your shoulder, will you?" The thought of merging into a part-cat part-man was unappealing to him.   
The cat lept off of Boxer's shoulder, and hissed at Vegeta. Vegeta hissed back, then cursed under his breath.   
"Stupid cat."   
"Don't insult my cat, old man." Boxer's tone was harsh, betraying his inner strength.   
"Very well, then, brat. I shall insult YOU. Would that suit you better?" Boxer's eyes narrowed, and his fist drew tight. The boy was no longer thinking about that stupid cat; he was most likely thinking about the many different ways he could attempt to pound Vegeta. That was good. It was better to fight when you weren't thinking about something 'meaningful'.   
Vegeta sighed again, impatient to get it over with.   
"Lets go!" 

Sniff sniff... Smells of hot sun and the woman-thing and the boy-thing, and just recently, a man-thing. The kitten watches with wide eyes from her sunny napping spot. The two man-things were doing a silly dance. A couple steps, a tiny jump, and there was bright light, and then there was one man-thing. Run to him... Sniff him.. Sniff sniff... Smells familiar but wrong somehow. Rubbing on him now, see what he does. The man-thing reaches down and pats her head, and she knows that it's alright for now.   
She hops on his shoulder, but he knocks her off. Strange man-thing. He looks like the boy-thing, but he looks like the man-thing as well. His clothing is tattered, but stretchy, blue. She sniffs his boots... They are beat up, but sturdy....   
"I am Vexer."   
His voice is deep, gravelly, and it startles her, so she hides behind the woman-thing, but the woman-thing is amazed by the new man-thing... Neko is afraid now, because the new man-thing and the woman-thing are talking quietly. Planning something, maybe? Interesting.   
Uh oh... And here was a new smell... An evil smell... Neko turned tail and ran. But not fast enough.   
She felt a piercing heat in her belly, near where her kittens would have been, and the air around her burned... She tumbled head over tail, smacking roughly into the ground, her little nose making a track in the soil. 

Vexer was tense. He could sense the Cyborgs near by, but he wasn't sure how. He had never personally met them, but he knew them, just the same. He meant to protect Mother-Bulma, but they came too quickly. The older one, the male, touched down on the soil in front of Vexer after shooting the kitten with a lazer ki-blast. The female looked dissaproving of the males actions, and had chosen to stay floating behind him.   
The male smiled, an evil smile that made Vexer very angry. Vexer could feel the heat rising off of the ground, and could sense his potential rising. They stood that way for a few moments, deadlocked, and he wanted to fight, but something was holding him back... Ah yes. Mother-Bulma. Fight, or flee, and now was the time that he had to choose, but a voice stopped him.   
The female one, 18, had finally spoken up. Her voice was a gentle alto, mellow and lilting in tone. It was frightening to think that such beautiful young people could be capable of the atrocities that Mother-Bulma had discribed.   
"We have heard through our sources that you planned an uprising against us. Is this so, Bulma Briefs???" She was ignoring Vexer, and only speaking to Mother-Bulma... Vexer understood that 17 was there only to keep Him in check.   
Mother-Bulma drew herself up tall, and if it had been any other time, Vexer would have laughed: A proud Bulma, clothed in sackcloth, standing tall against a backround of trash bags and rubbish. As it was, Vexer had to fight to maintain control of his emotions. Part of him wanted to lunge, attack full out, and the other part wanted to form a plan of attack... It was confusing.   
"Yes. I have organized a rebellion against you, Cyborg!" She spit out the last word as though it were a curse. 18 merely hovered closer, a curious and intent look upon her young face.   
"Why did you do it?" There was the sound of genuine curiousity in her light voice, as though she wasn't exactly sure why anyone would want to kill her. Her soft face frowned, and Vexer was almost fooled for a moment. 17 took a step towards Mother-Bulma, and Vexer tensed, ready to spring, but 18 put up a hand to halt him. "Not yet, Brother. She's not been proven guilty." She was waiting for an answer.   
"I did it because you have taken our people away from us. You have taken our rights, our homes, our lives, and you don't care!" Bulma seemed rightous in her statement.   
"You are correct in all but one statement. We DO care. That is why have allowed you to live." 18's teenaged face showed betrayal and pain. She extended her arm to touch Mother Bulma's face, whether to kill or comfort, Vexer did not know, but Mother-Bulma slapped the hand away.   
"I'd rather die than be touched by you... You... CYBORG!" 18 drew back, full lips pursed, and sorrowfully frowned. The girl-machine sighed.   
"Very well." 

(Next Chapter: "GO VEXER, GO!") 


	15. Chapter 15

Ok, like, MAJOR gore warning (no, not the Vice President.. *sigh*). I'm so sorry for this, yall... Might gross some of yall out, so think of this as an Optional Chapter... you can read it if you want, but if you can't handle stuff, I'll recap in the next, k? -- 18 

Roses

-- Chapter Fifteen --   
"GO VEXER, GO!" 

Mother-Bulma took a step forward.   
"Kill me then. Do it."   
18 frowned.   
"I would really rather not... It's a shame really, Briefs. I liked you. I thought you felt the same, but apparently I was wrong. Do you have any last words?"   
"As a matter of fact, I DO. I think 17 there is a heartless killer, who should have his nose removed via his ass! And to top that off, OOF--"   
17 had stepped over suddenly, hugging Mother-Bulma to him, her eyes went wide, and a split second later, blood sprayed from her mouth. 17 turned his head slowly to stare at Vexer with his cold, blue eyes, and the lifted one of his arms, only to flex the fingers of the other arm. It was sticking through Mother-Bulma's body, and his fingers and palm were slick with red. He lifted the impaling arm and flung her off of it with a flick of his wrist, the suction sound clearly audible, and she crashed into the hut with a sickening thud-crunch.   
18 turned aside, gently wiping the spatter of blood that had gotten on the white skin of her face. A single tear mixed with the smear, creating a lovely shade of pink.   
"That was really too much, Brother... You shouldn't have done that. I didn't want her to suffer."   
17 only turned to her, sneered, licked one of his bloody fingers, and then took off towards his 'home'.   
18 shuddered in disgust, then turned her head to Vexer.   
"Please forgive this. It was the only way." She lifted into the air, then paused. "If there is anything that I can do... To lessen the grief...?" She trailed off, letting her offer float on the air behind her shockwave.   
Vexer was in complete shock. He had just watched the murder of the woman he loved, the woman that had borne him unto the world... He could feel the rage building inside him, the willingness to become a Super Saiya-jin, to chase their asses down, make them pay... But something was holding him back. A part of him didn't know how to... Damn it... He would have gone after them anyway, but then he felt the throb of a familiar ki, and stayed. All he could do was watch them fly off... He swore that he would take care of them later.   
He went to Mother-Bulma, and his two-toned voice echoed off of the empty ruins of Caspule Corps.   
"Mother-Bulma? Wake... Please?" He cradled her gently, holding her head up the way he had held Trunks, whoever that was. "Mother-Bulma??"   
Her eyes opened slowly. Blood dripped from the corner of her mouth, and her eyes weren't focused. Vexer tried desperately to put pressure on the wound, but somehow he knew it wouldn't help her. He flattened his hand out and cupped the wound, focusing his ki to cauderize it. It was the best he could do, but she would die anyway... He knew a fatal wound with a glance, though how, he didn't know. He fought down tears, but failed, and a few of his drops landed in her hair.   
She worked her mouth, trying to say something, but bubbles of bloody mucus kept interfering. She turned her head and spat out a wad of reddish phlegm, then spoke haltingly in a voice filled with a lifetime of pain.   
"Boxer... Honey... I love you...."   
Vexer nodded. He would have at least twenty minutes to chase down those tin cans and make them pay, and boy would he...   
"I love you too, Mother." It bothered part of him that he didn't quite know whether this was his mother, or his lover... That was a disturbing thought.   
"Vegeta... I know, that you're not MY Vegeta... But... Use my... Use my body...to save your... Bulma..." Vexer's eyes opened wide with shock.   
"Than...thankyou." It was all he could manage.   
Bulma's eyes went wide again, and she coughed, her blood getting on Vexer's suit. "Ve...Vegeta?..." He did all he could do. He held her gently, but firmly. "Vegeta... You came home!..... I ... I waited... " More coughing... Oh god it hurt...   
"Shhh.... Shhhh, Bulma... It's alright now." He would try to please her. Her eyes weren't seeing him, anyway.   
"Please Vegeta... Let me feel your lips again... Against mine... Kiss me... " She winced against the pain. "Please...!"   
Part of him rebeled, and rebelled hard. The other part was hesitant, but willing to forfill the last wish of this woman that he had once known. He leaned down, lips touching hers, and gently kissed her. Part of him was disgusted, but the other part was just quietly sad that he had not known her longer. She was dead before he pulled away from her.   
Vexer put her body in a safe place, along with the limp form of Neko, and stood up tall against the hot sun.   
It was time to get the Cyborgs. 

He was growing impatient. No one was doing anything, and Bulma was getting weaker by the day. Goku refused to help, saying that Vegeta could take care of himself, and the saiya-jin idiot was eating all of their food.... Not that it bothered him. Bunny would take care of things dealing with that. She loved to.   
Teddy Briefs was running out of ideas... He could shut down the portal, but that would trap Vegeta in whatever dimension he ended up in. He didn't know what to do. He could set the automatic return time, but what if Vegeta was out of range? His particles would be spread out across the galaxy, and Bulma would DEFINATELY not like that.   
He was just glad he had put the feild up around the portal... Anything that went into or came out of it would have to wait for his approval.   
He sighed and sat back in his chair. Nothing to do but wait. 

Feeling the wind flying through his hair, seeing the ground part in twin clouds of dust... This is the only way to fly!!! He allowed himself a little time to cool off.... He didn't want to take anything out on the people of the towns and villiages. He tried not to think about the violence... The blood...   
Vexer's eyes were narrow with hate.... It flowed through him....Not only for the cruelties inflicted on Bulma... Oh Bulma.... But for the cruelties of the Cyborgs to the People. Fueled on by this thought, he kicked it into overdrive. And then... Poor Neko, who hadn't done ANYTHING at all... How many other people had fallen to 17's random rages?? He couldn't stand the thought any longer.   
With a magnificent scream, he burst into Super Saiya-jin.   
In his shadow, the people in the feilds scattered. 

Trunks was playing on the floor of his room. He had a new toy that Granpa had built for him, but that wasn't what his mind was on. The green square floated, surrounded by Granpa's machines, was mocking him again. It spoke to him in a soft, deep voice.   
"Trunks-kun. Come to me. I have your father..."   
Trunks stared at it with as much passionate Four-Year-Old hate he could muster, hoping that it would save him trouble and explode. It didn't. Trunks used a word that he'd heard Poppa use more than once, and had gotten berated for using before.... That didn't work either. His eyes narrowed as he tried to cut the voice from his mind.   
The 'fucking' square wouldn't shut up. 

(Next, Chapter 16: "Be There, Or Be Square!" 


	16. Chapter 16

There's a quote that goes: "'Come into my parlor', said the spider to the fly" and that is what 17 is alluding to.   
Ok: Recap: Bulma killed by 17. Bulma gives her body to Vegeta, in the hopes that it will save his Bulma. Boxer has nothing left to live for, except Revenge!   
Enjoy! -- 18 

Roses

-- Chapter Sixteen --   
"Be There, or Be Square" 

The stupid gun turrets of the Cyborg's fort were stinging his skin, and he was getting annoyed. He twisted in mid air, bringing his palms together for a blue ki-blast at one of the turrets. The fire-like ball spewed out of his palms, and the turret exploded in a colorful display of shrapnal. He zipped through the hole he had created, and slammed into a wall, and through it. Plaster went flying as he charged through walls and doors to find them.   
He didn't have alot of time left, only about fifteen minutes, so he had to hurry. He flung a door out of the way, annoyed at the difficulty in finding the two teen terrors. And then, suddenly, like the sun coming through thick storm clouds, he found them. The room was huge, more a hall then a room, with high ceilings and wooden rafters. The decor could have been done by Vlad the Impaler: everything was in differing shades of red. The two Cyborgs were standing at the back of the room, near two identical thrones, fighting.   
Vexer didn't know what they were saying, but 17 suddenly threw 18 against one of the thrones, and Vexer could hear the sound of her back snapping. She sagged to the ground, and 17 walked foward and spread his arms in a mockery of friendship. His deep voice rang out along the rafters and dropped on Vexer's head like drips of wet paint.   
"Welcome to my Parlor."   
Vexer stiffened, sensing a familiar ki.   
17 gestured to a corner of the room, no small effort, and Vexer followed his arm to where he was pointing. A cage, much like the one he remembered his father being taken away in, rested in the corner. There was a figure inside, slumped over, either dead or unconcious, and Vexer hoped that it would be his father... But then he looked closer.... And it was... It was Trunks! 

It wouldn't shut up. The Box. The Green Box. The square, that was driving him insane... Kept telling him that it was going to kill Poppa... He asked Granpa to stop it, but Granpa had said that nothing could get in or out and laughed at him. Trunks would show him.... Trunks knew how to work all the equiptment. He had watched Granpa set it all up, and he had worked that Capsule Multimaker Portal thing, so these machines should be easy.   
He was going to MAKE the square shut up. 

"What is HE doing here??"   
"He came, foolishly, to save you. Because I told him that I was going to kill you, and I wanted him to watch." 17 let loose one of his famous disturbing smiles, and Vexer cringed. It might as well have been one of 17's attacks...   
He could wait no longer. His ki flared up, surprising 17 and catching him offguard. Vexer rushed him with his knee, hoping to get in a good shot at 17's stomache, but 17 recovered so quickly that Vexer never saw the block that sent him flying off into a wall. 17 jumped into the air, a gruesome parody of the crane position, and flew at Vexer's dazed form, and Vexer had only a split second to dive away before 17's form imbedded itself in the wall where his head had just been. Vexer ran along the wall at 17, determined to get in a shot, and kicked at his head. He felt the shock of contact, but it didn't seem to phase 17. Nothing did, and Vexer was running out of time.   
Vexer flipped just over 17's head, ready to drive a knee into it, but his eyes went wide as he felt the impact hit him between the shoulders, and realized that 17 was quicker than he thought. He drove into the wall, splitting his lip and possibly breaking his nose, and he felt the power leave him as he dropped out of SSJ and fell to the floor in a crumpled heap. It was all he could manage to flip over, so that he could watch 17 while he regained his power, and hopefully he could stall his impending death...   
17 straddled him, hands on his hips, gloating.   
"So... This is the mighty Vegeta of your world, eh? Oh don't look at me like that, you interesting Little man. I know you're also that stupid boy, as well, but I was hoping that you'd offer more of a challenge... After all, once you're dead, this world and Your World will be mine, thanks to that little toy on your wrist..." He smiled, sweetly. Vexer almost vomited, but did the next best thing. He kicked 17, with all the force he could muster, in the balls. 17 screamed, flying over Vexer's head, and Vexer stood, allowing himself a smirk of satisfaction.   
"Asshole! You think I'm so easy to beat??"   
17 rose, his form shaking visibly, and snarled. Good response. Then he ran at Vexer, with blurring speed, and clotheslined him into the wall, pinning him.   
"The time for games is over, BOY!" 17 drew back his arm, to impale Vexer the same way he had killed Bulma. Vexer's eyes grew wide, knowing this was the end. He only wished he'd been able to tell Bulma how much he loved her before he died.   
And then in a split second series, 17 screamed, his eye exploded, followed by his head. Another split second later, his chest exploded, showering Vexer with variously colored body parts.   
18 stood behind him, pulling a smoking finger to her lips and blowing on it. Then she smiled grimly and spoke, her voice icy with hatred.   
"I never liked him much, anyway." 

(Next, Chapter 17: "A Deal You Can't Refuse") 


	17. Chapter 17

I'm sorry that this has taken so incredibly long to finish... it's hard to coreograph a fight scene when you can't even see the action, especially when you suck at writing action sequences....   
As for MY part in all this? ...If I'm gonna put myself in a story, might as well make me BAD ASS, right? *giggle* ...But I really hate beating up on Vegeta... *Sniffle...sniffle.....grin*   
We're almost to the end, so enjoy it while you can!!!   
(YOU'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS TO THE CAT! STOP ASKING!) lol... *wink* -- 18 

Roses

-- Chapter Seventeen --   
"A Deal You Can't Refuse" 

She stepped forward, no sign of defences up, and curtsied grandly.   
"Vegeta... Boxer... So nice to finally meet you personally. I'm afraid I didn't have time to introduce myself properly before. I am the supreme and ONLY ruler of this planet, Cyborg Number 18." She kicked 17's body. "There will be no more interuptions, my dear."   
"I am Vexer. I am the one who will destroy you." He didn't know what else to say.   
"Oh, I'm not so sure of that." She smiled sweetly, but her eyes hardened.   
He stiffened, alarmed at her coolness.   
"Let's make a deal." Her voice rang through the hall, echoing off of the many rafters and rungs of the ceiling. "We fight: If you win, you get to go home, or stay here and rule. Or both. I don't care. If _I_ win, I get this world, and your world, and You." She pointed at Vexer, a sly look on her face. "I've always wanted a new 'playmate' since this world's Vegeta died... It might be nice to have him AND his son..." She giggled, and it sounded like small silver bells. It was a sound that drove Vexer mad.   
Vexer nodded, once, and the deal was set. He HAD to win now. Everything and everyone he knew was at stake.   
Then suddenly, there was pain in his chest, and he crumpled to the floor. 18 stood above him, withdrawing her fist and smiling proudly, her teeth gleaming in the quickly dulling light. He couldn't let it end this way, not with just one punch!! Struggling to one elbow, he could feel his lungs straining for air. He hadn't realized that she was that fast, and perhaps that was where her only strength lie: speed, and the underestimation of her skills. He had taken for granted her post as secondary to 17, but in reality, he was only her pawn!   
She stepped forward again, and he took notice of her shoes. The tips of the orange boots were pointed, capped with steel, so as to inflict more pain. The heels were spiked, and he presumed that that also had something to do with inflicting pain. He'd have to move quickly: she, apparently, was a sadist.   
He rolled into a defencive posistion, feeling stupid for defending instead of attacking, but part of him knew that until he learned her moves, he'd HAVE to defend.   
"I see you're not going to give up that easily, eh?" She turned to face the cage holding Trunks. "And what would happen if I 'helped' your little friend over there? Hm?? How about I let him free and use him as target practice???" She pointed her finger at the boy's limp form, charging up a laser ki-blast. 

Teddy knew something was wrong the moment that Trunks hadn't come down for dinner. He never missed dinner. Tele-jumping to the boy's room, he found that all the machines were shut down, and he cursed Trunks for being born with his mother's intelligence. Typing in directions and numbers, he realized he'd have precious little time to retreive the little brat, only about five, maybe ten minutes, if he was lucky. He just hoped the boy hadn't gotten into any sticky situations. 

Vexer lept on her. It was all he could do, but it succeeded in knocking the laser beam off course. A huge hole formed in the ceiling.   
"YOU LITTLE BITCH!!!" Her eyes were hard: she was no longer playing. "How DARE you??? I'm going to kill you now, Bitch." She powered up, and the force ejected Vexer from her back with no difficulty. He hadn't realized she'd been holding back. This was bad.   
She lept at him, with speed verging on blurring. He had only a second to react. He drew his arms across his face in an effort to stay alive a little longer, andwas shocked when she withdrew from the block. He had unknowingly split her lip with his wedding ring. She touched a finger to the injured lip, a look of absolute anger slowly building on her face, and he suddenly realized that he had precious few moments remaining in fusion form.   
He screamed as he went SSJ, and this time it was 18 that was shocked by the power. Her hair blew wildly about her face with the wind from his power, and she had to fight to hold her stance on the floor.   
"Do you think that's all it takes, man?! It will take FAR more to defeat a cyborg of MY caliber!!"   
She ran at him, catching him offguard and slamming a knee deep into his chest, breaking at least two ribs. He countered with a heavy blow to her shoulders, knocking her into his knee and snuffing the air out of her cybernetic lungs. She flipped backwards, kicking up into his chin and knocking him well away. He smacked roughly into the wall and slid down, momentarily dazed. She wasn't even winded, but he knew that as long as she considered him usefull, she'd keep him alive. He would have time to plan something.   
"Had enough, little man? Want to give up? I'll have mercy on you if you surrender..." Yeah Right.   
He wiped a glove across his mouth, to clear the bloody spittle that had gathered in the corners, and smiled. 18 stepped forward, holding out a hand, eyes warm. She had mistaken his smile for one of surrender, happiness, perhaps. Her funeral.   
Vexer lifted his hand, to grab hers warmly, and she lit up with delight. And then Vexer yanked her to him, catching her with his upraised leg, and he pulled, pushing agaist her with the leg. A sickening snap and a few cracks and sparks were all that signified 18's arm seperating from her body.   
He heard her gasp as she looked at the sparking, wired stub that used to be her arm. The pause gave him all the time he needed so smack her violently across the face with her own arm. She reeled back, stumbling, in shock.   
"I see you're not used to getting ripped apart, 'My Dear'. Want some more of this, eh??" He rushed her, but she stood ready, shooting a red ki-blast at him. He screamed and dropped her arm as the blast enveloped his body, and he could feel the hair on his head, his tail, his entire body, burning off.   
"NOOO!!!"   
18 felt something ram into her back with the force of ten thousand steam trucks, and she barreled into Vexer's flaming body. Trunks shot ki-blast after ki-blast at her, avoiding his father's fusion form by a centimeter, at the most.   
"Not like this!! Poppa!!!"   
Vexer could see his son, that strange boy, rushing into 18, pummling her as best his four-year-old body could. Trunks had the element of surprise, but that wouldn't last long. 18 was starting to recover.   
"How the hell did you get out of your cage, boy???" He rushed her again, hoping to get in a good shot, and knocked into her body again, but this time she was ready. She whacked him hard with her good arm, knocking him way back into a corner. Vexer could still feel his ki signature. He wasn't dead, but he wouldn't be geting up any time soon, either.   
Vexer's two tone voice rang out across the room.   
"That was my SON you just hit. Now you DIE!!" He rushed at her, but stopped in mid stride as neon green light emenated from Trunks' corner of the room. The Square had reopened!! 18 saw her chance, and rammed into Vexer's charred body, then blurred in her hurry to get to the square. She would take BOTH worlds with, or without Vegeta to 'play' with. Vexer had other plans, however.   
He lept in front of her, sweeping beneath her and knocking her legs out from under her. She fought to maintain her balance, but her missing arm impeded her, and Vexer helped her down by summoning a huge ki-blast in her direction. It tore through her already broken body, leaving a gaping hole behind it, and she fell at Vexer's feet, motionless. He kneeled down, and lifted her still face by the chin, grimacing as his broken ribs gnawed at each other.   
Her face was young, beautiful, and deadly. He looked into her eyes, but they weren't the eyes of a killer, they didn't have the same hard coldness that he had seen in them before. They were soft, empty, and afraid... She had been crying, and Vexer's heart ached as he wiped her tears. ...Even cyborgs could cry... If he hadn't been married, he'd be tempted to kiss her, but part of him won out against the other, and against his own will, he leaned down further to kiss her --   
-- And split into two seperate beings. Boxer finished the kiss he had started, and Vegeta walked heavily away, wiping his lips in disgust. That made TWO dying women that he had kissed in one day. He felt ill.   
"Now you know how _I_ felt, Old Man," Boxer yelled from near the Teen Terror's body. "Kissing my own mother!! Revenge is best served luke-warm!!!!" Boxer laughed at his own joke, and Vegeta struggled to find an argument.   
"That was different... Your mother didn't try to kill you, or kill your father, or try to kill your son, or kill her own brother, or..."   
So. This is what having a son more like him would have been like... Vegeta was intruigued, to say the least. 

(Next, Chapter 18: What Goes Around, Comes Around.") 


	18. Chapter 18

What kind of artist would I be if my works didn't end on my number??? *wink* Enjoy, and please, please comment. I'll never know what story to write next if I don't get input, will I? =^.-= 

Roses

-- Chapter Eighteen --   
"What Goes Around, Comes Around" 

Vegeta shivered, and looked away. He had quite enough of this strangeness for one day, thankyouverymuch. He wanted to go home to his world, his wife... And then he remembered that he had to retrieve this world's Bulma before he could go back to his, and he had one more thing to take care of besides that. He turned again to face the boy.   
"Boxer.." No response from the boy except a small flux in his ki. "What are you going to do? Stay here?"   
Boxer stood, and to Vegeta, seemed at least twenty years older. Boxer was quiet as he spoke.   
"Someone has to help the people rebuild." He shrugged... So much responsibility rested on his young shoulders.   
Vegeta surprised himself yet again.   
"Come stay with us. You're too young to rule, and besides, your tail isn't even half as dark as mine... You've still got at least twelve years before you can rule effectively, and your power level is pathetic!"   
"Fa--" He caught himself angrily, then tried again. "...Vegeta. I am now 17 years old. That is more than old enough to rule effectively. And in case you haven't noticed, 'sir', our tails are both CHARRED, so how could you possibly say that mine isn't as dark as yours??"   
Vegeta blinked. The boy had a point. He would have to try something else...   
"Come and stay, if only for a little while. Bulma would probably love to see what Trunks would have been if her genes hadn't overwhelmed mine, and I know that Trunks would like to have a brother to spar with. There are no Cyborgs on our world, and if you can't think of any other reason, " he paused, taking a breath and a risk, "we have supplies that these people could use." Vegeta couldn't understand why he wanted Boxer to go with him so badly. Maybe it was just the idea of having another Saiya-jin besides Kakaroto around, or maybe it was just fatherly instinct. He didn't know which it was, but he knew that for some reason the idea of leaving Boxer alone in this dead world hurt badly.   
Boxer frowned in consternation, thinking deeply. A whole world depended on his answer. 

- - - 

Trunks was tired, and bored. He got all beat up fighting that mean computer lady. He rolled over on the bed, and frowned, half-heartedly playing with an Army Bob. His Poppa thought that playing with such toys was stupid, but it kept Trunks busy while he was getting better, so he let the boy play. Trunks was a little mad that he didn't get to use the tank, but only one person could fit in at a time, and Momma was in there now, so it would have been crowded.   
He sighed, impatient to get better and go play outside with Uncle Goku. He felt another crash, and grinned: Uncle Goku was having FUN today. It was too bad that Trunks couldn't join in... He walked the Army Bob along the pillow, wishing someone would come to visit him.   
Trunks felt a new ki, then pressure on the bed, and grinned, sitting up carefully so that his bandages wouldn't crumple weirdly. It hurt, but it was worth it.   
"NEKO!"   
The little black cat looked up at him, big blue green eyes wide and innocent. Trunks rewarded it by ruffling the fur on the top of it's head warmly.   
"Mew! Puuurrrrrrr....."   
Trunks hadn't heard all of the conversation when his poppa and his new brother came home, but he heard Granpa and Gramma talking quietly with his Poppa, and heard Brother Boxer talking to something, and saw him wrapping up some black thing and crying... Then Trunks went to sleep again, and when he woke up, a little black kitten was playing with his hair. Brother Boxer was a little mad that Neko liked Trunks, but it was okay because Neko stayed on Brother Boxer's shoulder most of the time.   
Neko leapt off of the bed in a smooth motion, no small task for all the bandages on her midsection, and landed with a quiet pad on the floor. She took a few steps to the door, then stopped and sniffed the air near the door, then backed up quickly as a menacing shadow scared her.   
"Trunks. Get up. Dinner." Vegeta was a man of few words. But then Trunks was happily surprised as he heard a voice he knew oh so well.   
"Veggie... Don't be so mean. He's hurt, bring him his food."   
"MOMMA!!!!"   
Bulma came in, slowly, with her arms open wide for a hug.   
"Be careful, boy. She's still sick."   
"Oh don't fawn over me like that, Vegeta. I'll be fine. Just get everyone else for dinner." 

Ah.... Air. No liquids, no impediments. Just air, and smells, and light, and Vegeta. She smiled.   
"Hello dear."   
"Hi."   
"What happened this time?"   
"Dr. Briefs fixed you."   
"How?"   
"It's a... long story."   
She smiled wider, watching him... His face was a mixture of love, fear, anger, and pain. As always, her heart melted at the sight of him.   
"We have all the time in the world. But first, are you just going to sit there and stare at me, or are you going to hug me?"   
He answered her gently, taking extra care of her healing body. He actually CARED, eh? That was good to know.   
"I'm sorry it took so long. I tried, but there...were... problems. And then it took your father a while to figure out the missing parts of your code, and splice the things into the spots, and he cut you a lot, and there was blood everywhere, and I wanted to stop him, but he just kept going, and you screamed at one point, and I was going to kill him, but then he said that it was the only way, so then I let him, and then you --"   
She cut him off, pressing her lips to his, and winced with the pain of the effort. He supported her, drawing her up carefully to him, and she felt something warm drip down her cheek. She pulled back, and saw something that he had never shown anyone else, and gently wiped a tear away from his eyelashes.   
He whispered to her, so that the others couldn't hear.   
"I was so afraid I was going to lose you. Don't ever leave me."   
She nodded, and felt him press something cold and round into her hand, with something long and sharp next to it. It was a ring, her wedding ring, and hooked through it, like a man in a life preserver, was a long stem rose bud. 

Vegeta stared at him, then turned to the side, holding out the front of a new gi with his fingers. Then Vegeta turned to the other side, and flexed his muscles. He put a hand up, and watched the pale aura build around it. And then he leaned in close, making his eyebrows rise and fall, and exhaled deeply, fogging up his face.   
Boxer pulled back from the mirror, shocked. He looked more like his biological father than he had ever guessed. This was the second time in his life he had ever seen a mirror. He frowned. What had he forgotten? Oh yes. He took the odd handled tool that his 'mother' had given him, and ran it along his bristly hair, smoothing it down only to watch it rise back to the position it had just been in.   
After a long bath, a lot of scrubbing from 'Bunny' ("I will not have any grandson of mine, Mine, or not, run around looking like this!"), and a new gi, he felt different. Reborn, perhaps. He frowned experimentally into the mirror again, then grabbed the small handful of wild roses he had picked earlier, so that there would be flowers at the table. Mother had always put flowers on the table.   
As he walked down the stairs, hundreds of thoughts ran through his mind. He felt as though his heart were being squeezed in a clamp. He missed his mother, naturally, but most of all, he missed his father. Not this uncaring, stronger version of his father, but the REAL father. The one that had valiantly given himself up in the hopes of saving his family. The one that had taught seven-year-old Boxer how to punch, to kick, to block, and numerable other things that saved his life more than once.   
Still, here he had a chance at life as it might have been. At least for as long as it would take to gather the necessary supplies... But that was a chance, no matter how small or how long it would last. Maybe he would come back. He didn't know yet, and only time would tell. He felt his shoulder, concerned suddenly that Neko wasn't there, and then remembered that Neko had taken a liking to the boy that called him Brother. No matter... The boy was a good kid, and Neko would like it here. ...Trunks, that was his name. His brother.   
He dwelt on that thought until he reached the dining room table, and was greeted by twitching whiskers, four wide grins, a smirk, and a gently waving, slightly charred tail.   


THE END!!!! 

-- Or is it??? -- 

Written by 18 ([cyborg_number_18@chickmail.com][1])   
July 11, 2000 -- June 8, 2000   
"Of the Fans, By the Fans, and For the Fans." - 18   
"The world is... LOVE AND PEACE!" - 'Vash The Stampede', Trigun.   


   [1]: mailto: cyborg_number_18@chickmail.com



	19. Chapter 19

(Note: These "stories" were written as chasers to Roses, my epic. If you haven't read that, go [here][1] to find the chapters, otherwise, nothing will make sense, and you won't have a clue what was going on [...Bob!...Don't skip chapters!...], and you'll be Really, Really...uh.. Sad. Yeah. -- 18)   
  
  
  


OMAKE!   
theater   
(Omake - A cartoon, story, etc, picturing characters in situations/actions that are not expected of that character.)   
  


I am almost constantly updating this, so come check it sometime, huh?   
(last update 8-3-00)

Most of these are humorous, some are kinda sad... some are just plain weird.   
Don't ask me. I just write them.

Disclaimer   
I don't own DBZ. Don't sue me.   
- - - 

Table of Contents   
[Number One: Vegeta's Kitten][2]   
[Number Two: Boxer's Blushing!!][3]   
[Number Three: 17 + 18 + Dr. = ?][4]

- - - 

Number One   
-- Vegeta's Kitten --   
(7-30-00: Shamelessly stolen from 'Ushio & Tora'; please don't sue me. -- 18)

The little kitty was persistent, clinging to Vegeta's leg, no matter how hard Vegeta tried to shake it off. He shook, and shimmied, and shivered, and did any number of other dance steps that he knew, but to no avail. He would have blasted it to bits if it had been his: damn his human wife, but it was finally Bulma that saved him, yet again. Bulma opened a can of food, and handed it to Vegeta.   
"Here. Feed it."   
"But it's Boxer's stupid cat, isn't it?? Why do _I_ have to feed it??"   
"Because you're his father, and he went home for a while, entrusting Neko to you."   
"Am not! I'm only an alternate dimension's version of his father..."   
"Oh show some fatherly concern and responsibility for once." Bulma walked out of the room, leaving the half opened can of cat food in the surprised man's hands.   
He was pouting again... She had won.   
The mighty Saiya-jin Prince unceremoniously held the can upside down, watching as the smelly glob dropped, and it plopped noisily onto the tiles. The cat leapt off of the counter and eagerly began to lap up the food, purring the whole while.   
"Stupid cat. Why do I have to look after you?" He was staring at it again. He just couldn't understand the creature. They hadn't had any cats on Planet Vegeta, so they were a new thing to him. He was fascinated by the rippling muscles that the cat possessed, amazed at the similarity of the cat to his new 'son', Boxer: they both had black hair, they both had hidden strengths... Idilly, he wondered if he looked that way, muscles rippling, black hair bobbing, when he ate. The cat took notice of his stare, and stiffened, it's fur standing on end for a moment.   
"Mew? Mew mew!"   
Vegeta sighed, sitting to watch the cat eat. Neko, as everyone insisted on calling it, would have been all right if it just left Vegeta alone. Instead of that, it would follow him where ever he went, stalking after Vegeta in it's kittenish way. It caused enough noise chasing butterflies and birds during Vegeta's morning meditation to disturb him, a difficult task when Vegeta was used to hearing sonic booms and raging winds. At night, when Vegeta would do his nightly flying patrol of the area, the kitten would clamp onto shoulder, holding tight no matter how fast Vegeta flew.   
Ah. The cat was done eating. Vegeta's eyelid twitched as the cat slinked up to him and rubbed against his leg. And it then proceeded to follow him around all day, which was really nothing new. It was clinging to him as though life depended on it, obviously missing Boxer.   
Days passed into weeks, and still Boxer did not return. Vegeta grew agitated, but Bulma calmed him, assuring him that Boxer would be back soon. He was his father's son, and couldn't resist a good spar now and then. He'd come back for that, if nothing else. Trunks played with Goten, Kakaroto's younger brat, and the kitten played with Vegeta.   
One night, Vegeta lay on the roof staring at the place in the sky where the moon would have been had Piccolo not destroyed it, when he felt the kitten climb onto his stomach. He was used to this feeling by now, and absent mindedly patted the kitten on the head, and scratched behind its ears. He listened to the cat purr, amazed at the quiet, deep rumble that eminated from such a small creature. He lifted and twitched his tail, allowing the cat to swipe at it with it's little paws. He finally slept, under the dark patch of sky with thousands of tiny stars blinking in the distance, and the little kitten slept with him.

Trunks leapt on his father, waking him out of his sleep and scaring Neko into running to the four winds.   
"What is it, stupid boy... You woke me up!" Vegeta spoke into the pillow, a bit groggy.   
"BOXER IS BACK!! BOXER IS BACK!!" Trunks jumped up and down on his father's back, and Vegeta 'gently' batted him aside with the back of one arm. Trunks landed against the wall with a thump and a childish giggle, and ran out of the room to tell the good news to everyone else he knew.   
Vegeta rolled over, then sat up, hand on his chin as he thought.   
His other boy was back now, eh? Maybe he'd take his cat back with him... The normally pleasing thought discomforted Vegeta, and he was worried for a moment. But only for a moment.

"Veggie Dearest, does it bother you that Neko is gone?" Bulma had noticed him blankly staring at the last unopened can of cat food. He straightened up, maintaining his royal stature.   
"Don't call me that, woman. And no, I could care less that the stupid beast is gone. Pitiful power level, and totally useless. I don't want Trunks playing with something like that... At least that Goten boy can keep up with Trunks, albeit shakily... That 'Neko' can't even FLY!"   
"I can't fly either, Dear." Bulma looked rather sad for a moment, and stood to go about her business in the kitchen, but she kissed him on the forehead as she left.

That night, Vegeta lay on the roof, under the starry, moonless sky. He breathed the night air in deeply, and lifted his twitching tail out of habit... Only to find that the source of the habit was not there. Frowning, he rolled over and slept, dreaming of soft fur and happy rumbles.

- - -

Number Two   
-- Boxer's Blushing!! --   
(8-3-00: This was to show what happened to Boxer when he went home. Enjoy the SD parts... heheheh -- 18)

Boxer was unbelievably uncomfortable in his chair. He was bored of listening to the Leaders of the continents. All they ever did was talk about things that he already knew. 'We have to rebuild this... Rework that... Reunite that here... Feed these people over there...' He had never hated humans in his life, he had grown up with them and was half human himself, so how could he hate them? But he was really starting to see why his father was so annoyed with them all the time... He couldn't begin to fathom how his father had managed to sit through intersteller discussions and the like.   
He sat up further, catching the attention of the Leaders. This was the first time during the entire four and a half hour meeting that he had moved anything more than his eyes or tail.   
"Less talk. More work." Boxer was, like his father, a man of few words.   
The Leaders stared at him as though he had grown a second tail. He fought the urge to check.   
"You sit here and talk all day while you could be getting things done. Why?" He stood. "I'm going to Help instead of Talk. I'll be in South Border, building." And then he left. Right out the window.   
He loved doing that, as he was one of four people that this world knew could fly. Himself, his father, and the two >deceased cyborgs. Since he had helped to kill them, he said help because he was fused with his father at the time, he knew that they were dead and that the only others that could fly would not harm the People, but they still ran to shelter as he passed. He didn't like that they were afraid of him, but flying was the only way they'd get used to him. He certainly wouldn't go back to walking the 15-20 odd miles to and from West Capital...   
Ah.... Alice. The REAL reason that he was going to South Border. His sweet Alice. Her smile, the smell of her hair, the way her nose crinkled when she laughed at him... He ducked, narrowly avoiding a troop of geese that had decided he was in their way. They were rare, but dangerous if encountered head on. They bit hard enough to break even his tough half Saiya-jin skin. Mentally, he sighed in relief as they were safely past.   
Alice, Alice, Alice... The name was akin to a prayer! His heart soared just thinking of her, and he did a few aerial flips to rid himself of the sudden energy... The soft pink of her cheeks, the way the starvation had never rid her of just the right curves... The way her light blond hair brushed against his face when he held her..... But he had never really held her. He frowned, evening out his flight course.   
He had never had the guts to ask her if she would mind. In a world where either of them could have died any day, though more likely him first, he hadn't the guts to ask her to walk with him. He could see it now... They would walk along the creek, and he would pick a few of the new-growing flowers for her.... She would take them warmly, and sigh in her lovely, light way, and then he'd take her into his arms, and then.... And then.... ...And then his nose bled. Heavily.

The dark shadow crept up on her like a cat for the kill... She never saw it coming.

"GET OFF ME, IDIOT!!" She pushed him rudely off, and then stood, whisping dust from her pant legs. He grinned widely, pleased with her reaction.   
"Wanna do something today, Ally???" She frowned at him, hiding her smile.   
"You know that I have to stay and help rebuild the house and the store... Why bother asking, Mr. 'Oooo-lookit-me-I-saved-the-world-from-killer-cyborgs'!" She waved her arms about, mocking him playfully, then murmered under her breath, but not so much that he couldn't hear, "...Smug bastard." She smiled, then threw a little dirt on pants. "There. Now we're even."   
Ug... He hated new ideas.... Why couldn't he just keep his mouth shut -- ?   
"I could rebuild your house for you.... And probably take less time about it....." He grinned, hearing opertunity knocking. "I would do it... For a litte favor.... " He lifted his eyebrows, doing his best to imitate the Other World's Vegeta when he teased the Other World's Bulma.   
He shrank down again, alarmed at the slant her eyes had taken, feeling her energy building up inside her.... And then she suddenly pulled out a huge mallet and whapped him hard on the head, then returned the mallet to God knows where and smiled brightly.   
"Okay!"

Putting down the last peice of wood on the store and punching the last nail in with his fist, he rubbed his aching head... A welt had risen where she had whapped him, and she had handed him some ice, but then proceeded to tell him how it was his fault, anyway, for insinuating something... She was so weird. He told her so. She whapped him again. Life was good.

They drank water while he rested... He wasn't really very tired, but it was nice to sit in the cool shade with Alice. She laughed at something she had said, and he blinked, as he hadn't heard.   
"Wah?"   
"Boxer, is something wrong? You're not usually so stupid during a conversation...." She was coarse in her speech, but he knew that she cared. Coarsness didn't matter, anyway: he loved her.   
"Eh? No... Nothing wrong... I was just..." He toyed with a piece of grass, trying to think of how to phrase it.   
"What? What were you just doing???" She was straight to the point, at least.   
"I..." He sighed... Dammit... It was like talking to the Other World Vegeta....   
"Boxer," she held the mallet, menacing.   
"OKAY, OKAY!!" Hands up in defence, should she choose to strike, he continued... Hoping his voice wasn't as squeaky as he thought it sounded. "I...wanted to know if you..... If you'd....." He gulped, frustrated.   
Her eyes slanted, and she bonked him delicately on the back of his head, avoiding the spots that caused the most pain.   
He stood like a child resiting history lessons to the class, his back straight, hands clasped, feet together. And eyes shut tight.   
"I LIKE YOU, AND WANT YOU TO WALK WITH ME!!"   
"Okay." She smiled sweetly.   
He fell over.

They walked, and she deftly twisted her long, light hair into a bun, jamming a pin into it to keep it's shape. She turned to him, excitedly.   
"Let's go swimming, Boxer.... It's been a long time since we've gone swimming..."   
His nose bled again... Just the idea of seeing her naked.... Hehehehe......   
She whapped him.   
He rubbed his head, irritated that she whapped him so often.   
"What?! I didn't do anything... Besides, swimming wasn't exactly what I had in mind...." Her eyebrow raised, surprised. Usually he would kill for the chance to see her naked.   
He leaned down, to grab a fist full of flowers for her. Gosh, he was SUCH a casanova... He grinned. Then his arms windmilled for a moment as he fought to regain his suddenly lost balance. And then he fell into the creek.   
Alice giggled lightly, her hand in front of her mouth. His eyes slanted, irritated, and a few drops of water dripped off of his pointy hair and into the water. He toyed with the idea of pulling her in, but decided that that would have been too rash. He did all he could do: He blushed.   
Alice giggled harder, and the giggles became laughs, which became gaffaws and snorts... She managed to laugh out a few words.   
"Bfff...Boxer, hahah... You're.. hahaha... Blushing!! Bwaaa!! hahahahah!!! hehe...." She slapped her thigh, her face turning red from the laughter. He blushed a deeper shade of pink. It didn't seem very fair that the day that he had chosen to ask her to walk with him was the day that he would embaress himself so deeply.   
He held up a handfull of flowers he had caught on his way down, and she slid down the bank to get them from him, her boots getting wet with mud.   
"Here, lemme help you..." He grinned, and pulled her into the water with him. Not so rash, after all.   
She screamed, then splashed him.   
He splashed her back, wetting her shirt, and she gasped, covering her curves and blushed.   
"Who's blushing now, eh???" He was so evil. He grinned.   
She leapt on him, fists flying, but she was laughing.   
Life was good.

- - -

Number Three   
-- 17 + 18 + Dr. = ? --   
(8-3-00: Some backround from younger 17 and 18. I got kinda bored. -- 18)

18 was so weird. Ever since they had been rebuilt, she would mope around all day doing nothing but the chores. He had asked The Doctor, who demanded that they call him 'father', if he could reprogram the girl, but Father refused.   
'No, 17 my boy, You have to learn how to deal with her.'   
So 17 watched his younger sister doing the chores and moping.   
"Come play!!"   
"No."   
"Why?"   
She stopped, leaning on the handle of the mop.   
"Because I'm planning my take-over of the world."   
"No way... You can't take over the world! It's too big, and you're too small..." He pouted. She was so weird.   
"We are NOT too small, and I'm going to have Father make us bigger... I'm tired of being just a cleaning bot... It sucks. Besides, you don't even clean none." She frowned at him. "I have to do all the work, 'cause you're Father's favorite."   
"NAH UH!"   
"You are... You can see it in his face. He always unplugs you first, anyways..."   
"That's cause my regen-tube is closer than yours!"   
"Wah." She made a sour face and went back to her mopping.

"Father, you won't really reprogram us, will you?"   
"If you won't follow directions, I HAVE to. You know that."   
"But... But... I always follow your instructions! I've never done anything wrong... 17 is the one that never cleans!"   
"18, shut up! It's YOUR fault we're getting redone. Just shut up!"   
"But... I didn't do anything!"   
"You planned to take over the world!"   
"Oh. That."

"Good Morning, Father."   
17 stepped out of the regeneration tube, his face passive. His eyes searched the doctor quickly for any sign of malice or ill-intent, but found the switch that controled their self destruct functions. The doctor was prepared.   
"Ah! You're better now, I see!"   
"Yes, Father."   
Dr. Gero moved to open 18's tube. 17 hoped that she would see it in time.   
"Good Morning, Father." She saw it right away.   
17 smiled.   
This would be easier than they had thought.

- - -

   [1]: http://www.fanfiction.net/master.cfm?action=Directory-AuthorProfile&UserID=13226
   [2]: #vegcat
   [3]: #boxerblush
   [4]: #cyborgs



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